Minority Business Accelerator Announces 2020 Class, Program Enhancements

The Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator recently graduated 2019 program participants and announced the 2020 class.(Greenville, SC) The Greenville Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator recently graduated 2019 program participants and announced the 2020 class.

Graduating from the 2019 program were 17 local, small business owners. Several participants received special honors for their dedication to the program and for demonstrable growth within their business as a result. Those participants are denoted with an asterisk below.

2019 MBA Graduates

Drayton Auston, HD Auston Moving Systems

Erica Berg, Collective Music Solutions, LLC

*Tiffney Davidson-Parker, Universal Therapeutic Services, LLC (UTS)

*Raygan France, Memoirs Events & Catering

*Stacey Gardin, Smit’N Photography, LLC

Michael Goldsmith, G-Force Carpet Cleaning

Andre Harrison, Heart of the Carolinas Medical Supply

Chris Hendrix, Window Genie of Greenville

Kendra McKinney, Little Learners Academy

Angela Pyles, B Major Piano Studio, LLC

Patrick Ratliff, Up and Up Coaching

*Jill Rose, Perceptive Recruiting

Jackie Saunders, Memoirs Events & Catering

Michelle Smith, The Parent Pal

Shan Smith, Good Sense Automation, LLC

Mindy Tobin, Secondary Solutions

Vanessa Young, CleanizerPro

The 2020 class kicked off their program this week. For the first six months, participants will follow the internationally-recognized Interise StreetWise ‘MBA’™ curriculum under the instruction of Wendell Jones. The remaining half of the year, participants work in peer-to-peer mentor groups, meet with their assigned coaches, and work to implement growth strategies gained from the program.

2020 MBA Class

Ebony Austin, Cassy Electric, LLC

Yukichi Hagins, Yukichi Hagins Realty

Duffy Baehr, Baehr Feet

Tory Atkins, Tory Atkins Nationwide Agency

Shutoya Hudson, Hudson Brow and Waxing

Shonette Sullivan, The Shekinah Group, LLC

Monier Abusaft, I.B. Industries, LLC

Justin Jenkins, Paveway Express Ltd.co

Dannah Mitchell Farr, Carolina Nursing Associates

Tameika Alston-Gibson, Visions Medical Health Care Services

Myson Jones, Hoops University

Justen Thompson, Carolina Southern Logistics

Also new in 2020 are several initiatives to expand the reach of the program.

The Greenville Chamber is now partnering with the Anderson and Spartanburg Chambers of Commerce to broaden the scope of the Minority Business Accelerator to the Upstate. Historically comprised of primarily Greenville-based businesses, this move aims to support more businesses throughout the region.

A partnership was also formed with South Carolina Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide specialized training for those organizations that do not yet qualify for the MBA program. Those participating in the inaugural program designed as a feeder to MBA include:

2020 SBDC Program Participants

Cassandra Beaudry, HR Assist ME

Willie Benjamin, Printing-Opportunity

Albert M. Bethea, Petroleum Group LLC

Tamara Cole, Chef TLC, LLC

Damion Evett, Evett’s Enterprises LLC

Jessica Kuhnel, Baverican LLC

Michael Mance, Mance Multimedia

Mary McElya, The People's Talent Show, LLC

Mark Misanko, Mark Misanko

Dariaus Philson, SerpAlliance Digital Marketing

Kathryn Preston, ViVasecious

Emmanuela Rodenberg, Dear Emmanuela


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Christine M. Scott, Christine Language Solutions, LLC

Connie Tate, Blended Butterfly

Coreshia Walker, Diamond In The Rough Investments

Felix Barron, Felix Barron & Associates LLC

Clarence Parker, Health and Fitness Alliance

Eric Spencer, Butler and a Broom

The MBA program is one of only six in the nation offered by Chambers of Commerce. To qualify, businesses must be based in the Upstate, socially or economically disadvantaged (minority, veteran or woman-owned, as well as those serving lower income communities), and a member of the Anderson, Greenville or Spartanburg Chamber.

Since inception, the program has graduated more than 100 participants, created 250 new fulltime jobs, and participants have seen a combined $23.5 million in new revenue.

Learn more at www.greenvillechamber.org/mba.