Virtual Demo Day to Highlight Georgia Minority-Owned Business Start-ups at ‘The Farm’ Business Accelerator by Comcast NBCUniversal

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On Thursday, June 11 at 5 p.m., Comcast NBCUniversal’s The Farm business accelerator program will present its fourth cohort of startups for its first-ever virtual Demo Day. Originally set to take place in Atlanta, the event hosted by Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran, has gone completely virtual to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 
 
Both The Farm and the State of Georgia remain committed to empowering and advancing minority-owned businesses and start-ups. 

A few points about what to expect at this year’s virtual Demo Day:

  • 90% of this year’s participating companies are minority-founded 
  •  40% of this year’s participating companies include a female founder 
  •  40% of those participating from around the world are from the State of Georgia 
  • 100% of the participating Georgia companies are minority-owned and founded   
  • One of the participating start-ups from Atlanta, Mini City, has already begun to make a national impact, helping municipalities and non-governmental organizations secure legal IDs for those who are homeless and connect them with much-need resources.  
  • Mini City’s Founder, India Hayes, is an alumna of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) 
  • Of The Farm’s previous three classes, 93% are still in operation and have created nearly 200 jobs, mostly in the Atlanta region. 

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The state is very proud of the minority-owned Georgia companies participating in this breakthrough event. All minority-owned companies in the State of Georgia are encouraged to get certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) through the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council.  

A few benefits of getting MBE-Certified include: 

  • Eligibility for special consideration in government contracts  
  • Private and public sector procurement offices that prioritize work with vendors that have the Minority Business Enterprise designation 
  • Local and national organizations offer networking opportunities, educational resources, individual coaching and more to MBE-certified companies.

Multiple minority-owned startups from Atlanta participating in Demo Day reflects a larger trend in the city. Earlier this year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Atlanta is quickly becoming the top spot for black technology workers. The city’s resources for developing minority talent and assistance programs for raising capital for various business ventures, including Invest Atlanta’s low-interest loans for entrepreneurs, tech programs at Morehouse College and Spelman College, as well as tech incubators at corporations, have all helped contribute to this trend.  
 
The success of minority-owned businesses is central to the state’s overall economic success. The Georgia Department of Economic Development will continue to look at creative ways to further empower minority-owned businesses and professionals.   

To learn more about The Farm’s virtual Demo Day, click here. 

 

GDEcD’s Corporate Solutions and Cybersecurity team  
June 10, 2020