A study this past November stated that over 200,000 Marion County residents live in food deserts – areas defined by low food access and low income (SAVI program, IUPUI Polis Center). With this knowledge and a mission to raise up the community from within, Flanner House began constructing Cleo’s Bodega and Cafe on the Near Northwest Side of Indianapolis.
Following the concept of providing paid opportunities for those in their neighborhoods, YouthBuild Indy participants to assisted in the construction of the Bodega, providing young adults with the paid work experience needed to thrive in the workforce.Over the course of five days, five trainees and two carpenters applied 8000 square feet of drywall and finish to Cleo’s Bodega.
The fresh food at Cleo’s Bodega and Cafe is all locally grown and sourced from farmers markets throughout Indianapolis, another way that Flanner House is bridging the low income/low food gap in their community. “At its manageable size and its involvement of local farmers and producers, Cleo’s Bodega may very well serve as a model for solving food scarcity in our city,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett at the grand opening of Cleo’s on June 20.
As part of their efforts to solve the food desert in their community, Flanner House has implemented the F.E.E.D. (Farming, Education, Employment, Distribution) program, funded by EmployIndy’s YES Indy grant. This grant makes it possible for providers to continue growing their programs that mirrors EmployIndy’s youth initiative focus: to impact, engage, and create opportunities for young adults in Indianapolis, specifically the opportunity youth population.
The F.E.E.D. program is designed to help young men and women who are currently not enrolled in school, unemployed, and engaged in the legal system gain the skills they need to be educated in the growing sectors of the local food economy in Indianapolis. In addition, these young people are provided with paid work experiences through Flanner House by planting, harvesting, and going out into the community through farmers markets.
Paid work experiences, bridging education gaps, and engaging in inclusive growth are all crucial to building a successful workforce. Not only do the individuals who go through the YouthBuild Indy and F.E.E.D. programs receive basic on the job training, they are also growing their skillset. YouthBuild Indy participants receive their high school equivalency and/or NCCER certification upon program completion and F.E.E.D. participants gain experience in growing, preparing, and processing food as well as learn first hand about food distribution in sales.
“It is the vision of this neighborhood that has made all of this possible,” said Tedd Grain, Executive Director at LISC Indianapolis. Neighborhoods and the residents herein rely heavily on inclusive growth and development in order to improve their quality of life.
With a mission of furthering the workforce by providing individuals with the skills needed to excel, EmployIndy is deeply engaged in both neighborhood redevelopment and the upskilling of young adults in Indianapolis. “The relationship with EmployIndy is exceptional,” said Turner. “We are constantly in need of relationships on the employer side and EmployIndy has been crucial in helping us broker those relationships.”
Mayor Joe Hogsett, EmployIndy encourage parents of 7th and 8th grade students to file before June 30 deadline
June 17, 2019 – Indianapolis 7th and 8th grade students and their parents are encouraged to take a moment to think about something further in the future than summer break: college tuition.
Led by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the 21st Century Scholars program provides income-eligible Hoosier students up to four years of college tuition at any participating college or university in Indiana. An crucial part of the process is that the application must be completed by June 30th of a student’s 8th grade year, which can sneak up on families currently focused on the transition to high school. In recent years, only about half of eligible Marion County students have enrolled.
“As a community, we leave a significant amount of money on the table every year – money that could provide an education and a path to a promising future,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “That is why it is so important for Marion County residents to apply for 21st Century Scholars before the June 30th deadline, to make sure all available resources make it into the hands of our students and families who need it most.”
Boosting promotion and applications for 21st Century Scholars is a key component of Indy Achieves, an initiative established by Mayor Hogsett and housed at EmployIndy to support Marion County students as they pursue a postsecondary degree or credential.
“Partnerships with local organizations like Indy Achieves are critical for the success of this program, as we find awareness of the Scholars program is one of the barriers to student enrollment,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers.
Indy Achieves staff have been working to increase awareness of 21st Century Scholars (which is a statewide program) by working with guidance counselors, coordinating digital advertising and attending school functions, encouraging parents and educators to register their students before the June 30 deadline.
“With school ending for the summer and the June 30th deadline looming, we ask our partners in the community to spread the word about this important opportunity,” said Matt Impink, executive director of Indy Achieves. “Utilizing existing postsecondary aid programs like 21st Century Scholars qualifies Marion County students for additional scholarship dollars and support services through Indy Achieves.”
Identifying and maintaining gainful employment is, for most individuals, a key outcome and goal of recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). It is also one of the most substantial barriers facing individuals in early recovery. Residents who deal with these issues often struggle to proceed through the ABC (A job, Better job, Career) continuum, but the tight labor market Indy is experiencing offers opportunities because local businesses are in such need of skilled workers.
The Indiana Workforce Recovery Initiative, a partnership between the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Wellness Council of Indiana, invited EmployIndy to present to recovery coaches and others in the recovery community about the workforce resources available for their clients.
Adam Rothrock of Community Outreach Network Services attended “because I wanted to get connected to more career services for our clients who are all re-entry. There is a lot of insecurity from people with a criminal background, so understanding where we can go for a warm handoff or referral is important so they can find success without getting discouraged.”
During the presentation, attendees cited similar interests to Rothrock, as well as a desire for more stability in programs available, citing difficulty navigating a complex landscape of opportunities.
The business community and individual residents both stand to benefit if recovery coaches can better connect their clients to in-demand education, training, and jobs.
After an intro from Mike Thibideau of the Indiana Chamber and an overview of EmployIndy from our COO Marie Mackintosh, our talent alignment manager Jennifer Walde shared information about how recovery coaches and their clients can connect to WorkOne Indy and its community partner locations, along with the career services offered.
Aside from general information and resources, bringing this group together offered a chance to ask questions and discuss issues as with peers.
One key question that was addressed was “when should someone disclose their felony if they have one?” Conversation around this topic reminded the group that it can be detrimental for a job seeker to lead with that fact as the first detail about themselves during an interview – but similarly it can be detrimental to avoid the topic entirely and never mention it (because of the likelihood of a background check revealing it).
“This is a tricky subject, but ultimately we are talking about human beings and their lives that are impacted by the work we are trying to do here,” said Jennifer Walde. This difficult topic lead to sharing of experiences from attendees around the benefit of honestly sharing information about a felony and explaining the life changes that are in place to ensure a positive path moving forward.
“We hope that a better understanding of the resources and services available will help recovery coaches provide value to their clients,” said Marie Mackintosh. “We are giving a broad overview today, and we look forward to learning more about your specific workforce questions and addressing them in more detail as we continue this partnership with the Indiana Chamber.”
Staff increases to support admitted student retention and boost awareness of 21st Century Scholars program as June 30 deadline approaches
From growing staff to partnering with over 100 community and business leaders to mentor young adults, Indy Achieves is making progress in its first year. This initiative was established by Mayor Joe Hogsett and is housed at EmployIndy to support Marion County students as they pursue a postsecondary degree or credential. Over the past few months, Indy Achieves has furthered relationships with IUPUI, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Commission for Higher Education to make it possible to bridge the education attainment gap in Marion County.
The broad goal of Indy Achieves is to address the Indianapolis skills gap of 215,000 residents who need job-ready credentials by 2025. EmployIndy is also putting the personnel in place to improve summer retention for students and increase public awareness of available (and often overlooked) financial aid for their postsecondary education.
One of the key components of Indy Achieves is thementorship program. Yecenia Tostado, Associate Director of Indy Achieves, has taken lead in making this program a reality as the first connections were made between mentors and mentees in February 2019. Since its inception, this program has connected over 100 business and civic leaders with two to three college-bound students each by utilizing a text messaging system to send reminders about important deadlines, such as filling out an application, attending orientation, registering for courses, and more.
“Yecenia Tostado has been integral in building the Indy Achieves mentorship program from the ground up,” said Matt Impink, Executive Director of Indy Achieves. “Under her direction, we surpassed our recruitment goals and she has established a lasting model that provides flexibility and ease for students and mentors alike.”
With the mentorship program underway, the Indy Achieves team is focusing their efforts on an even younger population: middle school students. In 2017, only 51% of the eligible 8th grade Marion County students were registered for 21st Century Scholars, a program from Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education that grants full tuition scholarships for Hoosier students to attend an Indiana two- or four-year college after they complete high school.
Esther Gamble, Indy Achieves Manager of Student Progress, recently joined the team and is working to increase awareness of 21st Century Scholars. From meeting with guidance counselors and sharing a 21st Century Scholars Enrollment Toolkit to speaking on the news, Gamble is going school to school, encouraging parents and educators to register their students before time runs out for graduating 8th graders on June 30, 2019.
In addition to grassroots promotion, EmployIndy is furthering awareness for Indy Achieves via an online and radio advertising campaign targeting parents and guardians as schools are reaching summer break.
“The growth of this program fulfills the vision of EmployIndy to remove barriers for all Marion County residents so every individual has the opportunity to excel,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, president & CEO of EmployIndy. “Indy Achieves creates an avenue to improve the future of the workforce by addressing the projected skills gap in Indianapolis.”
With available funding from Commission for Higher Education programs like 21st Century Scholars, students currently experiencing financial barriers have the opportunity to invest in their education. More good and promising jobs now than ever before require individuals to have some form of postsecondary training or education. In order to build up Indianapolis and open doors for our young people, it is crucial to utilize the education funding available.
The due date to register all Indianapolis graduating 8th graders for 21st Century Scholars is June 30th, 2019. For Marion County residents seeking application assistance, Indy Achieves aims to help so students can achieve their dreams – learn more at indyachieves.org/21cs.
Today freshmen at Crispus Attucks High School participated in mock interviews at their Future Center, conducted by local business organizations, such as EmployIndy, Ivy Tech, and St. Vincent/Ascension. These students spent their semester in the course ‘Preparing for College and Careers’ taught by Polly Brelage. This course taught them about the importance of two of the three IPS School ‘Three E’ mentality: Enroll and Employ. Although the students had been preparing for these interviews, many of them still struggled to demonstrate the necessary skills for success.
“The largest barrier for these students during their interviews was not being able to supply different examples of work experience they have had,” said Beth Bowling, EmployIndy’s Associate Director of In-School Engagement. “With many students being so young and not yet having an employment history in the traditional sense, many of them had a difficult time thinking outside the box and translating their life experience into a workplace setting.”
However, not all students struggled with this part of the prompt. Brian, one of the interviewees, shared a bit of his experience with the mock interview:
“The hardest part was definitely when they asked about my experience and why I would be good for the job since I’ve never worked anywhere before,” he stated. “But then I remembered that I could pull from examples in my own life. I talked about different jobs I’ve had around the house and how I’ve been mowing the yard and tied that into how it makes me a hard worker and good at multitasking.”
“I was so proud of Brian. This entire semester he has been quiet and hesitant to speak up and his performance today truly impressed me,” said Polly, reflecting on her students’ experiences. “Many students don’t understand how important it is to participate in mock interviews. Although they don’t see it now, down the road they will realize what they learned in this class made a difference in their life.”
Mechelle Polter (EmployIndy) interviewing Brian (Crispus Attucks student)
By participating in conducting mock interviews, employers and business leaders can truly impact a student’s future. It may seem mundane during the practice, but this kind of work-based learning experience is one of many that shapes an individual as they prepare for the workforce. As a workplace professional, you have the skills to not only help young adults get ready for job interviews, you also know some ‘tricks of the trade.’
“You need to remember you are interviewing the company just like they are interviewing you,” shared Mechelle Polter, EmployIndy’s Work-based Learning Manager, during a Q&A at the end of the mock interview session. By helping students’ practice, they are gaining more than just basic interview skills – they are having life experiences.
Robert King (Ivy Tech) interviews Crispus Attucks student
Robert King, Assistant Director of K-12 Initiatives at Ivy Tech Community College, chose to take this one step further as he tied in not only how it is important to interview well, but also how crucial it is to expand their education in order to pursue a good and promising career. Through Ivy Tech’s dual-credit program, Crispus Attucks students have the opportunity to earn over one semester of transferrable course credits, saving them thousands down the road.
If you want to participate in a work-based learning experience but don’t know if an off-site mock interview is the right fit for you, EmployIndy offers connections to many other opportunities for students to experience the workforce first-hand. We are able to provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to conduct an on-site tour, participate in job shadowing or guest speaking, establish an outline for a successful apprenticeship or internship, and other work-based learning opportunities for young people.
Contact our business solutions and talent team at [email protected] to get started today!
Many young people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or background, struggle to find their path during one of the most transformative periods of their lives: their late teens and early twenties. In a recent report by the Brookings Institute, studies show that this specifically applies to individuals within this population who fall in the low income bracket and with little hope of upward mobility. Many people in this population do not believe they have the opportunities available to pursue a good and promising career or postsecondary education. The mission of EmployIndy’s YES Indy program is to break down these financial and mindset barriers so all people, regardless of their history, are able to excel not only in the workforce, but as individuals.
Many of these young men and women are placed into the stereotype of being a ‘troublemaker’ while in reality they have been proven to be some of the most dedicated workers because they have the most to lose. Through the YES Indy Re-Engagement Center (YES Indy REC; formerly the Pivot Re-Engagement Center), EmployIndy and service providers throughout Indianapolis are making an effort to engage these young people to break down and rebuild the mindsets they may have developed based on what society has told them about themselves.
“If more people join the program, they can take the step to be exactly what they want to be in life. They need to know that you can have goals in life and not everything has to be the end of the road. The most important part of life is to not give up – to keep trying against all odds,” said Jervell Jackson, one of the early participants of the Power Huddle program through YES Indy REC.
The first time Jervell joined the Power Huddle he dropped out because he didn’t believe people would want to waste their time and resources on him. He didn’t think he was worth it. He had given up at the age of 21. After hearing what he believed were rumors of other people receiving support and getting jobs, he made the conscious decision to take a risk and join the Power Huddle. “I took this information I learned and put it to use. Not only have I become a better man, I learned how crucial it is to find what you want your career in life to be and to not settle for anything less.”
Since then, Jervell has become closely involved with YES Indy and encourages his peers to join by sharing his story of how it has impacted his life. He is seen as a leader at the REC and pushes others to take a chance to change their life.
Jervell (second from left) and the young men who attended the Beautillion alongside Senior Director of Opportunity Youth, Rodney Francis (third from right)
Recently, Jervell and five other young men who completed the Power Huddle, attended the 100 Black Men Beautillion. With the help of YES Indy, they were able to not only attend but to receive new attire for the event. The Beautillion is a ‘rite of passage’ for individuals from 100 Black Men who have undergone a mentorship experience and are making a commitment to themselves and their community to be individuals who are positive representatives in society, to raise their family in the same way, and accept responsibility for all their actions.
“It was amazing how quickly they adapted to the environment. You could truly see how they transformed from a from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset which reinforced what they learned in the Power Huddle,” said Katrina Owens of GO Consulting who attended this event with the young men.
In addition to attending powerful experiences such as this, Jervell has been working closely with YES Indy career navigator at CAFE, Jamarro Johnson. “Jervell was tired of living in the ‘right now’ and being told he couldn’t chase his dreams. He is now moving forward and taking serious steps to excel.”
When Jamarro found out that Jervell had the dream of being a CDL driver, he used YES Indy funds to make this possible by buying him a book to study for his commercial drivers license (CDL) test. While working part-time as a basketball referee, Jervell studied and passed his test. He was recently hired by Midwest Landscaping and is actively taking the steps to reach his overall dream of driving and eventually purchasing his own truck.
Many young people like Jervell are looking for a second chance and YES Indy provides that opportunity. By becoming an employer partner, businesses have the confidence that they are hiring people eager to learn and have the support of community based organizations throughout the city to assist in getting them on the right path to personal and professional success. Employers should connect with EmployIndy’s business solutions team to learn more.
Jessica Brown
One year after the death of our dear friend and coworker, Jessica Brown, we followed up with the student who benefited from the scholarship created in her memory: the Jessica Brown Memorial Scholarship.
This scholarship is given to the Marion County Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) student who mirrors Jessica’s passion for community service, strong work ethic, and genuine interest in the lives of his/her peers, regularly displaying random acts of kindness.
In 2018, the first winner of the Jessica Brown Memorial Scholarship was Tyrah Matherly, who at the time was a senior at Decatur Central High School. When Tyrah started JAG, she did not want to attend college – she had never been passionate about school. However, the JAG program changed that. Tyrah experienced a shocking realization that her career options were extremely limited if she decided not to pursue further education. Once that information sunk in, things began to quickly change.
Tyrah Matherly (middle) with EmployIndy Youth Services staff Erika Cheney (left) and Beth Bowling (right)
Through the help of her JAG specialist, Molly Hanson, she was able to get a job. “Ms. Hanson helped me create my resume, search for jobs, use the school computer to apply, and create a schedule to balance school and work,” said Tyrah. This process and the knowledge of her career options are what pushed Tyrah to apply for IUPUI to pursue a career as a dental hygienist. During her first semester, she used some of the funds from her scholarship to purchase the books she needed for her classes.
When the fall semester ended, Tyrah made the decision of transferring her credits to Purdue Global for two reasons: First, it gave her the flexibility to work a full-time job without the time constraints of an in-person course. Second, she decided to pursue a psychology degree with a focus on assisting people battling addiction.
With these online courses, Tyrah used the remainder of her scholarship money to purchase a new computer so she could continue her studies while working full-time in the OneAmerica contact center where she is developing job skills in a fast-paced setting with limited downtime.
As Tyrah pays her way through school, she is dreaming of ways to improve the lives of people struggling with substance abuse. “My life has always been centered around community service, especially when it comes to helping people and animals. I want to find a career where I can pair a person in addiction recovery with a rescue animal for support – a way of saving two lives at once,” she said.
The Jobs for America’s Graduates program gave Tyrah the boost to believe in herself and push herself to excel by utilizing time management skills and informing her of opportunities available through higher education. The Jessica Brown Memorial Scholarship was able to provide funding to help Tyrah reach her goals and continue to further her education.
If you would like to be part of changing other students lives, consider donating to the Jessica Brown Memorial Scholarship. These funds remove barriers for JAG students who may not have otherwise pursued a postsecondary education. Support for EmployIndy and its programs goes toward encouraging the future workforce to build a better future for themselves and their community.
Goodwill’s Indianapolis Metropolitan High School recently selected Daesha Cottrell as their outstanding student for 2019. Daesha is a participant in EmployIndy’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) program, which is helping to prepare her for success after high school. Learn more about her story and the impact of JAG in the video below.
Some job seekers assume employers are exclusively seeking individuals with a specific skill set, such as mowing, mulching, or irrigation for a professional landscaping company. However, more skills applicable to any job are defined by character, communication and attitude. Melissa Harris, BrightView Landscape Vice President and General Manager, highlights that their organization “looks for character first. We ask a lot of situational-type questions rather than landscape or horticultural. We want our employees to demonstrate good character and positive decision-making skills in the past.”
DaShawn Mitchellis a BrightView recent hire from Fathers and Families, an Indianapolis community-based organization focusing on helping get men into employment or education in addition to being a recipient of Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act funds through EmployIndy. While he was at Fathers and Families, DaShawn took Job Ready Indy courses where he was taught workplace and social skills, self-management, and learning strategies for success.
Job Ready Indy is an EmployIndy employability skills program that was developed in partnership with and vetted by the Indy Chamber and the City of Indianapolis. This program was established to assist young job seekers in becoming valuable employees and to provide employers with high-quality individuals who have completed over thirty hours of employability skills courses.
Alex Vetter, a Regional Market Recruiter at BrightView Landscape, mentions that DaShawn was one of the best candidates that he had interviewed since starting at BrightView. “He wants to do a great job, learn skills, and grow in the organization. His attitude was exactly what we were looking for.” Job Ready Indy prepares participants for the workforce by arming them with the skills they need to excel on the job – meeting immediate employer needs by cultivating applicants who have learned the importance of actions like dressing appropriately, being timely, valuing their position, and demonstrating positive character and genuine respect for themselves and others.
EmployIndy’s mission is to bridge the ever-growing skills gap in Indianapolis. It is no secret that employers are struggling with retention and that many job seekers struggle to meet employer needs because of their lack of soft skills displayed on the job. In addition to job ready participants, EmployIndy also utilizes a Referral Portal where individuals who have received services from community organizations are vetted to ensure they have the employability skills needed to succeed in a workplace setting.
“Having a high school diploma is always a plus,” says Alex. “But someone with a great attitude and looking to grow within the organization can be trained on the job and gain skills that can be used to benefit us in the future.”
Job Ready Indy works for both the supply and demand side of the workforce by preparing job seekers for work while also providing employers with eager candidates who have the skills to succeed – ultimately building and strengthening the workforce in Indianapolis and encouraging inclusive economic growth in the city.
Businesses interested in becoming an “employer champion” for Job Ready Indy should visit jobreadyindy.org.
As part of #HireIndyYouthWeek, EmployIndy worked with FedEx to offer a work-based learning experience to students from George Washington High School. The event featured a site tour, learning from staff, and opportunity to learn about and apply for specific jobs.
Check out the video below to learn more about the experience and how impactful it was for the students and the FedEx staff who participated. If your business is interested in hosting a tour like this, contact us to get started.
Indy’s business community is charged to employ and engage young adults tor the betterment of the future economy
With school nearly out for Indianapolis students, attention for many young adults turns to summer jobs and Mayor Joe Hogsett’s youth jobs program, Project Indy. In an effort to spread awareness about opportunities, as well as the important role that our local employers play, Mayor Hogsett and EmployIndy are proclaiming “Hire Indy Youth Week” from April 29 through May 3.
The proclamation announcement was hosted by Crew Carwash, where afterward two young staff members showed Mayor Hogsett how to handle incoming vehicles as a wash associate. Crew Carwash was the recent recipient of the Excellence in Youth Employment award at the Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity luncheon earlier this month for their emphasis on providing employment opportunities to young adults, hiring 94 young adults in Indianapolis last year.
“Youth employment often starts as a fun high school job – in my case lifeguarding,” said Mayor Hogsett. “But it was more than suntans and blowing whistles. It was looking out for others, showing up on time to relieve the guard ahead of me, learning how to earn and save money. These all proved to be valuable lessons for the jobs I have held ever since.”
Lessons like customer service, reliability, punctuality, conflict resolution, and more have a big effect on young workers, setting them up with experiences and competencies to carry into future careers. Research from JPMorgan Chase & Co. supports this idea, with their findings showing that for every year that a young adult works, they earn 14-16% more money in their 20’s.
For the business community, hiring young people can address short-term talent needs while also preparing the future workforce with the needed skills for our local economy’s success. With a looming skills gap in Central Indiana, local employers stand to directly benefit from an investment in the future workforce of Indianapolis.
“As more employers provide work opportunities to young people, we will see a long-term payoff: the collective upskilling of the workforce of our future economy,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy president and CEO. “Achieving broad results requires intentionality and action – so, for Hire Indy Youth Week we are calling on all Indianapolis employers to find ways to get involved.”
There are different ways for businesses to get involved in youth employment, including posting summer, part-time, and full-time jobs through Project Indy. However, for employers who are not in a position to hire, EmployIndy can help facilitate engagement opportunities such as site tours, classroom speaking, and internship support to help young adults learn more about the industries and opportunities available locally.
Organizations are encouraged to share their stories with the hashtag #HireIndyYouthWeek, sign up to post jobs on projectindy.net, or reach out to EmployIndy to learn about other ways to get involved in the future of our workforce.
Dozens of students at Arsenal Tech High School who have an interest in starting their own business gathered in the historic courtroom on campus to listen to panelists from a variety of backgrounds talk about their experiences with entrepreneurship. This is because being an entrepreneur is more about having a certain skill set and mindset than anything – and that skill set can be helpful whether it results in founding a business or pursuing a more traditional career.
After a presentation from Kathy England of Regions Bank about the importance of understanding the realities of how financials play a role in starting a business, Joseph Eldridge of 100 Black Men Indianapolis moderated the panel, along with questions from students. Below are some highlights from the panelists:
Chris Hoyt
Chris Hoyt – Founder, Apprenace
“Often, people are searching for how to get to the top when the solution is right next to us. When I found something that I do well, I wanted to see how to turn it into a business – but just because you do something well, does not always mean customers are ready for it. The first thing you need is customers, if you don’t want to fail. Once I had enough people saying ‘yes, I would like to try this,’ then I used their feedback to create my initial product offerings. We did a lot to understand businesses and what their concerns and doubts are so that we are offering something specific rather than ambiguous.”
Melita Carter
Melita Carter – Founder & CEO, Natural Born Leaders Academy
“As you are building your business, you don’t have to be good at every aspect of your business, but you have to know a little bit about everything to make sure other people you hire do their job well… As long as you know a little about a lot, to hire the right people, you can be successful. And that comes from reading and reading and researching and researching.”
NaShana Mitchell
NaShana Mitchell – Founder, Studio B; Co-founder, Design Bank
“You need to ask yourself why, what, who, where? Why am I committed? What am I offering? Who is my customer that will use this? And where do the transactions take place? Is it a building or online? And as you figure that out, it always circles back to ‘why,’ and you go from there. I had a business where once we made a $10,000 mistake – so after that we asked lots of questions and learned from it to make the right decision next time.”
Aundre G. Hogue
Aundre G. hogue – Regional Vice President, PFS Investments
“You don’t have to be good at everything, but your business does. To go to the next level, it is more of a mindset – too many people never get off the ground because they are scared to fail. I don’t know anyone who is successful who hasn’t failed first. You need to fail forward, and keep moving.”
Dani Williams
Dani Williams – Entrepreneur, Creative Leader, Social Media Strategist
“When I decided to become a special media strategist, it is because I found a need… Some people have wants, and some have needs – I have been most successful when I find a need and try to fill it. I am also a big believer in collaboration over competition, so I find ways for entrepreneurs to raise each other up through business.”
“Thank you for doing this. No one has ever done something like this for us.”
– Arsenal Tech student after the event
The 
