Morehouse College and SEC to host workshop for minority entrepreneurs

The Securities and Exchange Commission and Morehouse College will co-host a panel discussion on strategies to attract investment capital to minority businesses from 4 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 during Homecoming Week. The special event, which will be held on the campus of Morehouse College, will feature conversations with minority entrepreneurs and investors who will explore solutions for overcoming barriers and share business successes.

The panel discussion will be held at the Shirley Massey Executive Conference Center. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Advance registration is recommended. Seating is limited. The full agenda and list of speakers and panelists will be available on the event page.

A diverse group of entrepreneurs, alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Morehouse students and faculty, and other business leaders have been invited to attend this first-of-its-kind event led by the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office, and the SEC’s new Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. The event is open to the public.

“At Morehouse College, we develop men who are focused on service and leadership. Many of our students have entrepreneurial interests,” said David A. Thomas, President of Morehouse College. “We are honored that the Securities and Exchange Commission, leading entrepreneurs, and national investors are partnering with us in this important conversation about funding minority businesses. The dialogue will help the men of Morehouse to identify ways to help finance their business ideas and achieve their dreams.”

“The SEC’s continued commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and investors from all backgrounds has been bolstered by our new Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. “I’m proud to have the agency serve as a resource for owners of small businesses, including minority and women-owned businesses, as they navigate our markets.”

Richard Best, Director of the SEC Atlanta Regional Office, said, “We are excited to work with Morehouse College and the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation to provide such critical information to students and diverse small business owners and entrepreneurs.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Morehouse College and our Atlanta colleagues for this wonderful event leading up to homecoming weekend,” said Martha L. Miller, director of the SEC Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation. “Our office is keenly focused on supporting minority-owned businesses and shining a light on their success stories, as well as highlighting ways that we can improve the rules to support more diverse founders and funders.”

Speakers and panelists will include:

• Sheena Allen, CEO and Founder, CapWay.
• Hakeem Atwater ’14, Co-founder, unboXt, Inc.
• Keitra Bates, Entrepreneur and Owner, Marddy’s Shared Kitchen.
• Ryan Germany, General Counsel and Assistant Commissioner of Securities and Charities, Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
• Paul Judge ’99, Entrepreneur and Angel Investor.
• Amari Ruff, Founder, Sudu.
• Lonnie Saboor, Director, Small Business Development, Invest Atlanta.
• Arian Simone, Entrepreneur and Co-founder, Fearless Fund.
• Theia Smith, Founder and former Executive Director, City of Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative.
• Jewel Burks Solomon, Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Co-founder, Collab Capital.
• Eric Troy ’84, Partner, Global Strategies, LOUD Capital.