Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC), a leader in higher education and industry collaborations for entrepreneurs of color in metro Atlanta since 2004, is set to welcome more than 100 stakeholders from academics, banking, prime contracting, and business leadership supporting businesses of color to the 2024 Ascend National Conference June 11-13, 2024. This conference aims to address the creation of long-term sustainability for underrepresented businesses and communities. The three-day event boasts a comprehensive itinerary featuring interactive and engaging training sessions, thought-provoking discussions, and collaborative workshops led by industry leaders, experts, and visionaries. These activities will explore innovative solutions that support sustainable futures for these businesses. The outcomes will serve as the framework for establishing strategy and concrete plans for Ascend Core Cities and National Cohort.
“Despite minority-owned employer firms contributing $1.48 trillion and 9.43 million jobs per year to the U.S. economy, there is a significant disparity in equitable access to educational resources and capital and procurements opportunities for business owners of color,” says MIEC Executive Director, Dr. Tiffany Bussey. “It is through our partnership with Ascend - a national network of highly qualified business educators, successful entrepreneurs, and inclusive organizations - that businesses of color gain the knowledge, resources, and connections needed to scale and grow middle market diverse business in underrepresented communities.”
The Ascend National Conference adjourns on Thursday, June 13, with a sustainability roundtable and takeaways for attendees to implement in their respective cities.
Media representatives are welcome to speak with Dr. Tiffany Bussey and other key conference leaders on Wednesday, June 12, at the start of the opening sessions (8:00 AM, Shirley A. Massey Conference Center, located at 830 Westview Dr. SW) or at 5:30 PM at the African American Hall of Fame (2nd floor, King Chapel), both on the Morehouse campus.