A live virtual fireside chat featuring famous comedian and entrepreneur Loni Love, Co-Host of The Real and Owner of True Love, Inc.
Oftentimes, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs experience barriers with accessing capital and resources needed to start or sustain their businesses. Lately, COVID-19 has exacerbated those challenges, especially for women. However, when BIPOC entrepreneurs break through that glass ceiling they are unstoppable in their respective industries. Unfortunately, people in underserved communities don’t get first person accounts and the opportunity to connect with popular business tycoons who they identify with.
On November 19th (Women’s Entrepreneurship Day), the Women’s Business Center at Cornerstone Alliance presents MOGUL (Making Our Goals Unite Lives). MOGUL is a first of its kind, for us-by-us style, live virtual fireside chat featuring famous comedian and entrepreneur Loni Love, Co-host of The Real and Owner of True Love, Inc. production company. The Michigan native will reconnect with her roots through an intimate conversation with Afiya Latham, Co-owner of Express Employment Professionals of Southwest Michigan.
Loni will share how she went from being an electrical engineer in the automobile industry, to launching a successful entertainment career and owning a Hollywood production company. Attendees will learn how Loni seized opportunities to help establish herself as a force in business, unite groups and impact lives, and how they can also, if they start now. Guests will be able to participate in a Q&A with Loni Love.
Congratulations to Gregory Shelton of Grand Unique Laundry for receiving his first loan through Northern Initiatives. With help from his SCORE mentor, Cheri Bales, Gregory did a fantastic job on developing his business plan and showing real entrepreneurial spirit. We wish you much success, and look forward to your upward movement. You are a wonderful role model.
I appreciate your ears for listening, your eyes that see my vision and your heart that makes you who you are. I thank you for your time. You are making a difference.
The WMed Innovation Center is a perfect environment for innovation to grow and become a successful commercial enterprise.
Whether you are seeking a research partner or want to enlist the help of student groups in developing business plans, or just looking for ways to engage with WMU, the Business Connection office can find the resource to help move your business forward.
A loan (from Local Initiatives Support Corporation) helped expand our cafe to triple our seating, add a kids space, increase much needed staff work areas, and make other improvements to the space.
The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is the State of Michigan’s digital library. It has excellent resources available to Michigan residents at no cost.
Western Michigan University’s Starting Gate helped me take an idea and transform it into a much more attainable reality. Whether providing talks with investors and business owners or accountability, the ultimate goal is helping your business succeed.
The Kalamazoo Land Bank did robust community engagement around the vision and gave us something to work with that was solidly desired by people in the neighborhood. Having a vision meant we had to protect it. That’s something I thank the Land Bank for. It was difficult. It didn’t make anything faster or easier, but we got a better project in the end as a result of it.
Buy Local Greater Kalamazoo is a hard working grassroots group focused on the greater Kalamazoo community and its small businesses. Their events and networking opportunities are the best!
Michigan SBDC is a great company providing top notch service to local businesses all over Michigan. The consultants are professional and the student workers contribute with excellent work!
