Macon Black-owned businesses receive $25,000 in grants. Here’s what they plan to do

Entrepreneurs in downtown Macon received $5,000 each Thursday to support their businesses as part of the 2023 Downtown Diversity Initiative (DDI).

Representatives from NewTown Macon, the Middle Georgia Black Pages and Wells Fargo presented the grants to the business owners at a press conference Thursday in Churchills on Cherry, whose owner previously participated in DDI.

“Programs like the downtown diversity initiative are the foundation for building a downtown that is equitable, inclusive and resilient,” said Lauren Marshall, vice president for community development at NewTown.

These entrepreneurs each won a $5,000 grant:

• Troy Cunningham, Sr., Smoked Eatz Mobile Kitchen: “I’m gonna get some sinks built onto my smoker and invest it into my business.”

• Terri Marion, Wagsworth Hotel: “With the funds, I am actively seeking and looking for a new location to bring Wagsworth Hotel to downtown Macon to start helping babysitting, daycare, grooming for the pet community in downtown.”

• Andrea Cooke, RESCue: “I’m investing all of it into the company, and so purchasing the initial water bottles, branding, packaging.”

• Kristie Gordon, Gordon’s Vineyard: “…just to help get equity to be able to get a loan, so we’re in the very beginning phases, and we’re gonna need to borrow some money, so this will help be able to accomplish that.”

• Jermain Scott, Undisease: “…to promote Undisease, to get it out into the world and help as many people as I can.”

“I think what all of them have in common is that they have the skills and now the network, the community, both with their fellow entrepreneurs but also with NewTown, and being a participant of DDI, they are set up for success,” Marshall said.

During the summer, 25 entrepreneurs participated in the initiative and completed a 6-session business training program, which was designed to help participants develop their business ideas, according to a news release from NewTown Macon.

“It’s been a great experience. meeting new people, networking with new people. The DDI is a great program, and I recommend it for anybody who has a small business, especially if they’re black-owned,” said Cunningham.

After the six sessions, the participants pitched their business plans to a panel of local business experts, and the top five graduates won the $5,000 grants. The grants can be used to cover startup costs or to expand their businesses, according to the release. Wells Fargo provided the funds for the grants.

“I got accepted into the class, and it was amazing to finally find my people because entrepreneurship, for anybody who is an entrepreneur understands that it’s a lonely road,” Marion said.

The 2023 program was the fourth iteration of the initiative, which was established to bring more diversity to downtown Macon. In 2021, only 18% of downtown businesses were owned by African Americans. Now, 26% of businesses in downtown Macon are owned by African Americans consisting of 47 Black-owned businesses, according to the release. Macon-Bibb County’s population is 54.3% Black or African American alone, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“You’ve heard about these tremendous and amazing businesses, but we still have work to do,” said Marshall. “We have more work to do, especially to support more Black entrepreneurs to help close the racial wealth gap in Macon, and we believe that downtown Macon is the catalyst to encourage and ensure that we can close that racial wealth gap by supporting Macon’s black entrepreneurs.”