ATLANTA (Sept 5, 2024) — The successful Start:ME Accelerator at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School is expanding to Northwest Atlanta.
Since 2013, Start:ME has provided training, tools and connections to 445 business owners in Clarkston, East Lake, and Atlanta’s Southside. Of those companies, 83 percent are led by people of color and 74 percent are led by women. Start:ME alumni employ more than 800 people with annual revenues of $24 million, and its seed investment pool has provided 149 ventures with almost $420,000 in start-up capital.
Building on that success, Start:ME Northwest Atlanta is recruiting entrepreneurs and mentors to a vibrant part of Atlanta with tremendous opportunity for economic growth and wealth creation. Partnerships with the Grove Park Foundation, Truist Foundation and volunteer mentors make possible the free 14-week Start:ME program beginning January 2025.
“The partnership between the Grove Park Foundation and Start:ME is exactly what we’ve envisioned to support small business owners in our community,” said Grove Park Foundation Executive Director Gavin McGuire. “This collaboration aligns perfectly with our mission to provide economic opportunities for families and children to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Together, we are creating conditions for people to thrive.”
From mom-and-pop shops to in-home ventures, microbusinesses (which have less than 9 employees) are individually quite small but collectively create a big impact. According to The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), microbusinesses account for 92 percent of all US businesses and create 43.6 million jobs.
For entrepreneur Sioux Greaux of Sole Renew, participating in Start:ME proved immensely beneficial as it provided essential tools and knowledge. “From honing business planning skills to mastering pitching and storytelling, developing financial plans, and navigating legal matters, each session contributed significantly to my entrepreneurial journey. The program also offered invaluable networking opportunities and practical experiences. Start:ME empowered me to build a stronger foundation to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship with greater confidence and strategic steps.”
For Goizueta Business School, the program is another example of its commitment to building principled and impactful leaders and entrepreneurs.
“Start:ME Northwest Atlanta is more than just a program expansion; it’s a testament to our dedication to uplifting both business and society,” said Gareth James, John H. Harland Dean of Goizueta Business School. “Start:ME enables micro-entrepreneurs to generate income, create jobs, and become community role models—catalyzing growth and prosperity in the neighborhoods they serve.”
Start:ME is delivered by Goizueta’s Business & Society Institute, and many alumni and business leaders provide volunteer mentorship for Start:ME entrepreneurs. They are paired based on skill sets, experience and compatibility.
“The relationship between mentors and entrepreneurs is key and often extends beyond the 14-week program,” said Start:ME Director Erin Igleheart. “We want entrepreneurs to have a solid, supportive, constructive network of mentors and peer entrepreneurs to draw upon as they continue to operate their business.”
The Truist Foundation, through a $1 million multi-year grant issued in 2023, is supporting Start:ME’s current community footprint and its expansion to Northwest Atlanta. The foundation was Start:ME’s inaugural external seed funder, then under the SunTrust Foundation umbrella, issuing the first grant to the program’s Clarkston efforts in 2013.
“We are proud to partner with Goizueta Business School and support such a transformational program in the Atlanta community,” says Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. “Truist Foundation believes all people and communities should have an equal opportunity to thrive. By strengthening the small business ecosystem in underserved neighborhoods, we can begin to level the playing field and ignite generational wealth for years to come.”
Start:ME also partners with community lead nonprofit organizations East Lake Foundation, Focused Community Strategies (FCS), Friends of Refugees, and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta. Start:ME is made possible by the gracious support of Bank of America, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Regions Foundation, Target Corporation, and Truist Foundation.
Start:ME is currently seeking volunteer mentors passionate about sharing their business skills and supporting the small business community. Interested applicants can learn more and apply now at www.startmeatl.org/mentor.
For entrepreneurs interested in participating in any of the four Start:ME community programs, applications are open at www.startmeatl.org/apply from September 5th to October 5th.
To learn more about the program and how you can get involved, visit www.startmeatl.org/.
About Emory University’s Goizueta Business School
Business education has been an integral part of Emory University’s identity since 1919. That kind of longevity and significance does not come without a culture built on success and service. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School offers a unique, community-oriented environment paired with the academic prestige and rigor of a major research institution. Goizueta develops business leaders of today and tomorrow with an undergraduate degree program, Full-time MBA (Two-Year MBA & One-Year MBA), Evening MBA, Executive MBA, MS in Business Analytics, Master of Finance, Master in Management, Master in Business for Veterans, Doctoral degree, and a portfolio of non-degree Emory Executive Education courses. Together, the Goizueta community strives to solve the world’s most pressing business problems. The school is named for the late Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.
For more information, visit goizueta.emory.edu.
