30 small businesses pitch their ‘Made-in-USA’ products to Walmart at Atlanta event

ATLANTA, GA — Walmart and the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) hosted the 2025 Walmart “Road to Open Call” on Tuesday, June 24, with a pitch event in Atlanta. 

More than 30 small businesses and entrepreneurs applied to pitch their American-made, shelf-ready products directly to Walmart at RICE as part of the retailer’s annual Open Call. The Walmart Road to Open Call series of events is a nationwide initiative designed to connect small businesses with Walmart’s sourcing team and help them prepare for the retailer’s annual Open Call event in Bentonville, AR.

 The Atlanta event was the last of seven stops, with additional events that took place in Kansas City, MO; Baltimore, MD; Austin, TX; and Columbus, OH.

RICE and Walmart welcomed 30 selected small businesses—many of them were entrepreneurs that RICE supports at the center and from the greater Atlanta area, representing industries such as food and beverage, beauty, safety, and consumer goods.

“Walmart is committed to supporting the success of small businesses, and events like the Road to Open Call play a pivotal role in achieving this mission,” said Mark Espinoza, Senior Director of Public Affairs at Walmart. “Through collaborations with organizations like the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, we create opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect directly with Walmart and take the next step toward our main Open Call event in Bentonville, Arkansas. These events serve as a bridge, helping business owners refine their pitches, gain valuable insights, and potentially secure opportunities that can transform their businesses while strengthening U.S. manufacturing and job creation.”

“Today is proof of what we’ve always believed: communities like ours are where prosperity begins,” said Jay Bailey, President & CEO of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. “We’re proud to see so many entrepreneurs come to RICE to make that belief real. To have Walmart walk through our doors and sit face-to-face with the very entrepreneurs we serve every day is a powerful validation of their potential, our work, and the uncommon access we provide to help entrepreneurs excel. This is Atlanta’s opportunity to show the world what’s possible when this access meets readiness.”

Applications for Walmart’s annual Open Call event, which will take place Oct. 7-8, also opened on June 24. Open Call offers U.S. entrepreneurs the chance to pitch Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants for a game-changing opportunity: getting their shelf-ready product in stores or online, and in front of millions of customers, officials said. 

Since launching in 2014, Open Call has helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses become Walmart suppliers, fueling local economies and driving innovation.

Walmart proudly works with more than 1,200 suppliers based in Georgia. Last year, the company spent more than $26 billion with Georgia-based suppliers, helping support more than 167,000 jobs across the region. 

About Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE)

The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) is Atlanta’s home for Black entrepreneurs. Positioned as a business generator, RICE serves as an economic mobility engine for the community: driving entrepreneurs and small business owners to innovate, grow, create jobs and build wealth. Inspired by the legacy of Herman J. Russell, one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs and civic leaders in Atlanta, RICE remains dedicated to its mission to Build. Black. Business. and stands as the largest center in the world dedicated to growing, scaling, and developing Black Entrepreneurs. 

For more information visit www.RussellCenter.org.