The Beauty of Entrepreneurship
By Robert Burgins, Jr.
This past Monday Bessemer’s Public Library hosted the Create Birmingham’s Co.Starters Bessemer program.
This particular event celebrated recent graduates of a ten week entrepreneurial cohort initiative. During the program local business owners and aspiring business professionals were involved in workshops, branding classes, and given knowledge of business loans and other important lessons based around becoming a full fledged business operator. Jessica Moody opened up the program with an introduction to the curriculum which Ms. Alisha Ruffin-Brown was Facilitator with an energy that got all of us excited and tuned into the day’s events as she introduced each graduate.
We learned about the motley of business ventures and established professionals which included representatives for Doula Services, Bessemer Business Incubator through the Industrial Development Board (from Director Beasley who also greeted and spoke to the graduates and audience), Economic Development, individual budget management and more.
Cohort participants shared their business tutorials and pitches which gave the audience background information about their businesses and purposes. These savvy business innovators offer services within the makeup, hair care products, cleaning services, and clothing industries amongst others. It was a fantastic day which exposed us to the knowledge of businesses that offer needed services in several areas within our very own city limits.
Create Birmingham Director of Programs and Operations, Jessica Moody told us, “This is our 40th cohort and fourth in Bessemer. We’ve had three hundred plus graduates come out of this program over the years and our purpose is to make sure local business owners and non-profit organizations get the needed information to be more successful and aware of ways to further their platforms to a broader audience.”
We also spoke with Program Specialist, Madi Vordenbaum who said, “We like to keep everyone involved within our ecosystem knowledgeable about many opportunities whether it’s availability of brick and mortar locations or getting involved with farmer’s markets and other venues to get them to the next step within their entrepreneurial visions.”
The day also showed the importance of being serious and present within the Cohort Program and its classes, as we know the old saying goes, ‘Hard Work Pays’ as this year’s cohort participants were rewarded by Executive Director of Bessemer Redevelopment Corporation, Melanie Bouyer. She told us, “We wanted to plant new seeds within local businesses and the participants who applied to be a part of this program. They were rewarded today because they’ve shown themselves responsible by being on-time and not having more than two absences and other necessary actions on taking the classes serious as entrepreneurs.”
Create Birmingham’s Community Engagement Manager, Viola Ratcliffe told us “I’m always excited about the Celebration Morning festivities. We love Bessemer and are looking forward to continued partnership with the Bessemer Library because we’re very grateful to them for always being open to allow us a space, as well as the city’s business owners and entrepreneurs to help them grow or further their platforms as our recent graduates have.”
For more information on upcoming Create Birmingham events and cohort program interests, visit CreateBirmingham.org or find them on all social media platforms and sign up for their newsletters online to stay updated.
We want to see you win and experience the beauty of such! The Beauty of Entrepreneurship
