Midlands Minority Business Accelerator announces 2023 Cohort; 2022 Graduation
December 8, 2022
Class of 2022 Cohort Graduates Eight Local Minority Businesses.
The Columbia Chamber’s Midlands Minority Business Accelerator program recently graduated 2022 program participants and announced the 2023 class.
The Midlands Minority Business Accelerator (MMBA) supports and scales high-potential minority-owned firms by providing targeted training, access to business coaches, and access to large corporations. Participants undergo intensive training following the award winning and internationally recognized StreetWise ‘MBA’™ curriculum created by Interise and led by Wendell Jones. Participants work closely with financial experts, coaches, and peers to develop a three-year Strategic Growth Action Plan™, which is customized to their individual business and details the strategies and tactics the owner and staff will take to increase revenue, financial management and improve access to capital.
Graduating from the 2022 program were eight local, small business owners:
- Allison Sullivan, Bluestein Attorneys
- Debi Schadel, Flock and Rally
- Elias Lykes, Defender Firearms & Training
- Heather Leigh, Greenhaven Memorial Gardens
- Nate Abraham, Carolina Panorama Newspaper
- Niketa Galloway, Bizzy Kidz Kab Company
- Rozalynn Goodwin, Confidence by GaBBY
- Will Patterson, PatCon Industries
At the December 7th graduation ceremony, Niketa Galloway received the MBA Excellence Award for her dedication and growth throughout the program.
The 2023 class will kick-off their program in January:
- Alicia Davis, Davis Tax Consulting & Financial Services, LLC
- Brittany Koester, Azalea Coffee Bar
- Bryan Tayara, Rosewood Market & Deli
- Charity Stewart, The Glow Factory
- Cornell Jones, Joseph C Logistics LLC
- Eunissa Warnock, The Assignment Agency
- Teresa Tidwell-Smith, Meaningful Escapes Boutique Travel Agency
- Timothy Clements, Clements Cleaning Service LLC
The Midlands Minority Business Accelerator is a program of the Columbia Chamber in partnership with the South Carolina Minority Business Accelerator. The South Carolina Minority Business Accelerator is a statewide initiative formed by Greenville Chamber, Charleston Metro Chamber and the Columbia Chamber.
Funded with a seed grant from Bank of America, the initiative was designed to advance economic inclusion across the state of South Carolina by helping to reduce the economic disparities experienced by minority owned businesses. The initiative provides opportunities for economic growth and prosperity for high-potential minority owned firms. MMBA is a major economic development tool of the Columbia Chamber and is designed to make minority businesses more competitive.
Learn more at www.columbiachamber.com.
About the Columbia Chamber
The Columbia Chamber is a private, nonprofit, partner-driven organization comprised of 1,200 business enterprises, civic organizations, educational institutions, and individuals in Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, and Richland counties. The Columbia Chamber serves as the voice of its Partners and the business community at large on matters of economic, educational, social, cultural, and political concern, as well as supports and promotes the success of its Partners through networking, professional development, advocacy, and leadership. The organization has represented the interests of the local business community since 1902.
To become a partner or to learn more about the Columbia Chamber, as well as its events, programs, and initiatives, visit www.ColumbiaChamber.com.
