Programs
Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub
At the Georgia MBDA Business Center, we strive to adhere to the motto of 'technology-enabled, technology owned'. Every MBE in every industry, from manufacturing to consulting, from professional services to construction, should be evaluating how technology can improve profitability, build capacity, or enable business growth.
The Georgia MBDA Business Center collaborates with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), the incubator that serves the state of Georgia.
Located at Tech Square in the heart of Georgia Tech's campus, ATDC helps high-tech and deep science startups grow and scale. Through our partnership and with support from our sponsor, we are funding two Startup Catalysts in an initiative we call MBDA@ATDC.
If you are a high-tech startup in the state of Georgia, please contact us to learn more about our community, educational curriculum, coaching, and connections.
If you are looking for technology for teaming, tech transfer, or investment, please connect with us. We can help you find opportunities.
The Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub team of universities and community-based ecosystem builders are constructing a regional, blended network of spaces, education pathways, and entrepreneurship programs with access to corporations, financing, government programs, and more. This cohesive, blended network will foster Minority Business Enterprises’ (MBEs) participation in programs to grow and scale their businesses. This effort is designed to overcome the limited participation of MBEs in local innovation ecosystems while giving them access to a broader regional network of connections and experiences.
The Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub is a pilot project that strives to blend the networks and innovation spaces, which support MBEs in eight southeastern states – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
It will weave a strong, intercommunity fabric of business support organizations, incubators and accelerators, state and federal organizations, corporate partners, universities, investors, and other ecosystem partners to create a regional business growth hub.
Leadership
The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) has teamed with the Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) and PRENEURology Global to establish the Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub.
Donna M. Ennis, C.P.F. is EI2’s Director of Diversity Engagement and Program Development and the operator representative for the Georgia MBDA Business Center at EI2. She serves as the operator representative, organization leader and financial manager for this initiative.
John Avery is the Director of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). He leads the MBDA@ATDC initiative to engage more Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) founders into this technology incubator.
Kirk Barnes is CEO of TransPharMed. He oversees all corporate partnership initiatives for the Hub.
Tiffany Rogers Bussey, DBA is the founding Director of the Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC). Dr. Bussey is the primary liaison overseeing the activities for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Connections.
Le’Kiesha French is the CEO of PRENEURology Global, a global economic development, training, and community building enterprise. Mrs. French is the primary liaison overseeing the activities for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pathways.
Brandy Nagel is program manager at Georgia Tech. She manages the overall Business Growth Hub activities and is responsible for building relationships with ecosystem partners and programs
In Partnership
The Southeast MBDA Business Growth Hub is led by the Georgia MBDA Business Center and the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) incubator located at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s (Georgia Tech) Enterprise Innovation Institute in partnership with the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) and PRENEURology Global.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has successfully operated the Georgia MBDA Business Center for over 15 years and in 201, launched a national initiative for MBE manufacturers that included the National MBE Manufacturers Summit. In addition, Georgia Tech is a hub of innovation, operating programs such as ATDC, ENGAGE, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and other innovation and commercialization initiatives. Georgia Tech is connected to over thirty-five corporate innovation centers in Atlanta and Georgia and serves as a major contributor to the Atlanta and southeast innovation ecosystem.
With a statewide network of ten regions, Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute enjoys a long legacy in the state and nationwide of providing innovative programs to: (1) support and provide technical assistance to MBEs, manufacturers, companies seeking to do business with the public and private sectors, and technology start-up enterprises, (2) promote business and manufacturing competitiveness, (3) provide relevant training to business, industry and communities, and (4) facilitate community and statewide economic development.
Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC)
The Morehouse Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center is a global model for higher education and industry collaboration that connects education with student leadership development, and community-focused resources and support. MIEC is grounded in the Morehouse College legacy and committed to building a program that supports bridging the growing gap between the wealth of non-minorities and that of people of color. MIEC’s programs and services have one goal – to help Black businesses grow and thrive.
PRENEURology Global
As a Social Enterprise serving entrepreneurs around the world, PRENEURology Global has worked with organizations, educational institutions, corporations, and government agencies across the globe for more than 15 years, to support emerging innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems through a human-centered approach. With its team of bilingual professionals (English and Spanish), PRENEURology revolutionizes mindsets within communities at risk by empowering people with tools for innovation and economic growth.