Oct 28, 2021
Imagine an ecosystem that fosters the growth and scaling of businesses owned by people of color through a cohesive, blended network of spaces, education pathways, engagement programs, and mentorship, with direct access to corporations, financing, and government programs. In this episode of I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, I talk to Donna Ennis, Director of Diversity Engagement and Program Development, Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia MBDA Centers at Georgia Tech, who is leading the Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub, a 2-year initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce MBDA to establish a collaborative network of support for minority entrepreneurs in 8 states, stretching from North Carolina to Florida. Together with Morehouse College Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center and PRENEURology Global, Donna hand-picked a team of experts to build a model designed to overcome the limited participation of minorities in local innovation ecosystems while giving them access to a broader regional network of connections, experiences, and resources. Donna’s vision is to prove this model as one that yields sustainable economic wealth for entrepreneurs so that it can be replicated in city centers across the nation. To learn more, visit: http://businessgrowthhub.gatech.edu