Our core belief is that by serving the whole business, the entire community prospers economically and holistically.
The work of Our Village United is grounded in a theory of change that focuses on building strong, resilient communities through the delivery of culturally-competent training and business solutions.
Welcome to The Village
During the past four years of building community within this unique entrepreneurship ecosystem, our team has observed that taking the time to cultivate community through strategic gatherings and positioning microbusinesses to share essential backend resources (e.g., master classes and accounting services) has helped address many of the obstacles that microbusinesses face in trying to grow and thrive in Atlanta.
When Black-owned, microbusinesses are afforded help in the business development arenas where they lack expertise these businesses move one step closer to becoming thriving job creation engines in the community capable of directly impacting economic inequality and wealth building.
Our Mission
We support the growth of Black solopreneurs and microbusinesses by delivering targeted technical assistance and shared professional services that empower business owners to grow their operations and scale their businesses. Dedicated to serving the whole business, we not only focus on the health of the business, but also the health of the business owner by partnering with licensed wellness coaches and mental health practitioners to serve as mentors to small businesses. Our core belief is that by serving the whole business, the entire community prospers economically and holistically.
ELEVATE is a 12-week incubator that is tailored to serve the most urgent needs identified by small businesses. The 12-week program provides resources, tools, mentorship, training, wellness support, and connects an ecosystem of entrepreneurs to thriving community partners who are dedicated to the growth of solopreneurs and microbusinesses. ELEVATE moves businesses from aspiration to application to the achievement of growing from sole operators to a thriving business with multiple employees.
UnStuck
UnStuck provides an enriching opportunity for entrepreneurs/ small businesses to present his/her business challenges to a village of dynamic leaders and trendsetters in their respected fields, and as a village, we provide tools, field experiences, and resources to help them become “unstuck.”
Meet The Team
Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon
Executive Director
Dr. Key is our visionary! Bringing big vision and execution!
M. Cole
Small Business Champion
M. Cole is the heavy-weight small biz champion equipped with the entrepreneurial experience and passion necessary to coach each solopreneur to elevate, compete and win!
Dr. Joy Beckwith
Wellness Champion
In a culture that values results over rest and hustling over health, our Village recognizes that healthy people build healthy businesses, and I lead CEOs in balancing as they build to avoid detrimental entrepreneurial burnout.
Andre Whittington
Associate Director
I am a strategic thinker and I bring innovative ideas!
Raven
Marketing & Brand Manager
Raven is a hybrid visionary, uniting strategy, psychology, and creativity to elevate our village.
Ranada Robinson
Program Evaluator
Ranada is our data queen, and she ensures that we’re proactively collecting and analyzing what we need to understand, improve, and communicate our impact.
Kris Smith
Small Business Champion
Kris is one of the Small Business Champions. She brings truth, good energy, and technical/business knowledge.
Daminga
Program Manager @ Pittsburgh Yards
Daminga utilizes her charisma and creativity to build community and foster relationships for our village.
Marta Collier-Youngblood
Grant Manager
Marta is the grant negotiator-she finds where the money resides and helps get it where it needs to be for the good of the village.
Training
Our most popular training is Elevate, a 12-week incubator tailored to serve the most urgent needs identified by small businesses.
Shared Professional Services
Get targeted technical assistance and professional services that empower you to focus, grow, and scale your business.
Community & Accountability
Never go alone with access to wellness coaches, mentors, and our community of driven entrepreneurs to help you thrive.
