Though minorities make up 32% of America’s population, minority business ownership represents only 18% of businesses. Over the last 10 years however, minority firms represented 50% of the 2 million new ventures across the country, creating 4.7 million jobs! Meet these aspiring founders and find ways to support their businesses.
Crystal Gail Crawford, a Make Startups graduate, and founder of Hey Crystal Gail Consulting, recently had the extraordinary honor of introducing President Biden at the "Care Can't Wait" rally in Washington, DC. As the board chair of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), Crystal's advocacy for domestic workers' rights culminated in this significant moment. She shared her personal care story, emphasizing the vital role of care in her life and its influence on her business.
Sa'de Williams, the Founder, and CEO of Golden Lotus Properties, LLC, was looking for a change in her career when she stumbled upon the Make Startups…
In 2019, Tonia Gibbons left a comfortable check and a steady job as director of community relations and engagement in the City of Augusta mayor’s office. Her plan? To open her own PR consulting business. The COVID happened…
Kevin knew that the lessons from Make Startups would be the foundation for his path forward as a business founder when he presented to a potential customer and the client secured his services to develop a quarterly community-wide event starting in October 2023.
“It’s go time,” says Kala Evans of ATL BodyWorks. Read now how Make Startups helped her build her business marketing to high-level professionals and celebrity clients.
“I have education, I have knowledge and I have skills, so I took that leap of faith and decided to start my own business.”
Make Startups gave me a sense of community… a sense that I’m not in this alone.
Make Startups gave me confidence. It helped me to understand business, and not to be afraid to take the money.
“In life, everything you do is about self-esteem,” Jones says. “You can never let anyone tear you down. theClubhou.se gives you that.”
“theClubhou.se filled the gap,” Ortiz says. “With the size of my business, there wasn’t another alternative. theClubhou.se was a perfect fit: It has the right amount of resources and price range that a small business like mine can afford.”
“theClubhou.se was the place that helped me realize that my business was no longer a hobby,” shared Jasmine.
As soon as Brittany Sherell walked in to theClubhou.se, she says, “I felt like this is what I was searching for—a space to work outside of my home, where I felt safe and that also had the functionality of an office space.”
Riley read an article about theClubhou.se shortly after leaving Detroit, when he returned to the Aiken area in 2017 as his mother’s health was failing. “It was a no-brainer to join,” he says, “considering the investment relative to the business networking resources.”
“The problem Make Startups solved for me was the confidence and ability to start my business and get my first client,...now when I’m going through my business, I know what I’m doing."
“With Make Startups, I came to the realization that I didn’t really know what I didn’t know,” says Georgia Alexander of startup SOCA Vegan Kitchen. “Make Startups really helped out, so I was truly prepared.”
When I enter through theClubhou.se double doors, I know I am in a place with other movers, shakers, and innovators who have convened in the space for the sole purpose of making progress toward some goal.
Tonia Gibbons, owner of Farr More and Associates, and graduate of Make Startups, officially launched her business last month at theClubhou.se.
Art Abdon owner of Art the Artist Studios has been a member of theClubhou.se since, 2018 when he joined our entrepreneurial program Startup Life. He shares, “with the help from theClubhou.se, I was able to start my business!”
Creating an opportunity is often better than waiting for one to come your way. During the beginning of the pandemic, Crystal Smith started a business and within three months she went part-time with her job. One year into entrepreneurship, she has a packed schedule and is no longer working for someone else.
When it's time for a new computer, how much do you think about what happens to your old one? Richard Green set up shop in downtown Augusta to specialize in electronics recycling and the sale of computer components for older computers that are still in use.
Keisha Shields is the Leadership & Business Adviser that women executives turn to when they want to show up authentically with zero apologies. She understands value, recognizes accomplishments, and sees the potential in people to rise above others’ stigmatizing mentalities. She has set up shop at theClubhou.se!
Jasmine Ryans encourages entrepreneurs to, “Take time to know yourself, be patient & persistent, and have a narrow focus in order to bring big results.” This mindset is how Jasmine developed her new business Soul(tre).
