This year, in celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week (Feb. 20-24), every Microsoft Store in North America will host workshops featuring local small-business leaders, with the goal of raising awareness about business opportunities and strategies for the next generation of entrepreneurs, by providing an opportunity to network and share key learnings from their successes and failures.
Small businesses account for 55 percent of employment in the U.S., according to the Small Business Administration. And the 28 million small-business owners and entrepreneurs in the U.S. are at the forefront of innovation, fueling growth and creating jobs across the nation. African American entrepreneurs are just as big of a part of this influence and Microsoft Store wants to do its part to help. A recent Babson College report found that Black business owners are creating businesses at a higher rate than other groups.
The success that results from self-made entrepreneurs is a big part of the reason why a list of the World’s Most Valuable Corporate Brands features plenty of companies that didn’t even exist two decades ago. Virtually all net new jobs created in the U.S. between 1980 and the middle of the past decade were created by firms that were five years old or younger — about 40 million jobs!
The national calendar of events can be found here. Below are Atlanta-based workshops.
Lenox Square Mall
- Tuesday, Feb. 21, 12-2 p.m.: Entrepreneurship Workshop with Lovely Bodies Owner Kory Philips
- Lovely Bodies Founder and CEO Kori Philips will share his secrets to a healthy lifestyle.
- Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m.: Workshop with Dr. Dionne Mahaffey
- Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Dionne Mahaffey on several topics related to entrepreneurship.
Perimeter Mall
- Monday, Feb. 20, 8-10 a.m.: Ignite Your Ideas
- Panelists Jenna Aronowitz and Dr. Dionne Mahaffey will speak to an audience of small-business owners and entrepreneurs about their successes and failures.
- Tuesday, Feb. 21, 8-10 a.m.: Ignite Your Ideas with HoloLens
- Two graduate students from GA Tech will join us in-store to discuss HoloLens
- Friday, Feb. 24, 8-10 a.m.: Microsoft Office 365 Business Advantage
- Local Microsoft Partner Clair Dohn from NetWeb Computer Consulting will be talking about the Microsoft Office 365 Business Advantage for Small Businesses
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— Dr. Dionne Mahaffey is an Atlanta-based writer, business psychologist and founder of The WhereU app. Follow her on Twitter @ATLcelebrity @WhereUCameFrom
