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.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Meet The Team
Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon
Executive Director
Dr. Key is our visionary! Bringing big vision and execution!
M. Cole Jones
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
Interim Associate Director
I am a strategic thinker and I bring innovative ideas!
Raven Thrower
Marketing & Brand Manager
Raven is a hybrid visionary, uniting strategy, psychology, and creativity to elevate our village.
Ashley DeFlanders
Program Coordinator and Researcher
Ashley, a facilitator who is fully vested in the success of small businesses, brings cultural understanding, strong leadership skills, and excitement to each program.
Kris Smith
Small Business Champion
Kris is one of the Small Business Champions. She brings truth, good energy, and technical/business knowledge.
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.
Najwa Ahmed
Program Manager
Najwa brings streamlined processes and emotionally intelligent problem-solving skills.
Careers
Join Our Team
Want to join our village? We’re looking for dedicated community-driven leaders to join our team of innovators and visionaries! See below current opportunities.
Program Manager - Jackson, MS
The main function of a Program Manager is to oversee Our Village United’s program funding, execution, contractor assignment, budget and goals from start to finish. In order to ensure that each program in their care is executed efficiently, Program Manager regularly perform a variety of tasks
Responsibilities
- Coordinate the overall design of each program cycle including planning, developing, and implementing workshops and strategic initiatives.
- Recruit and coordinate workshop facilitators, including preparing facilitators for classes (e.g. secure handouts, learning materials, and attendee rosters, introducing faculty at workshops and post-workshop follow-up).
- Provide direct staff leadership on scheduling, marketing and outreach, workshop planning, registration and implementation, fee and expense processing, materials management, logistics and coordination, day of event set-up and clean-up.
- Oversee development and revision/streamlining of promotional materials and hard copy/online registration systems. Promote increased use of online registration system among workshop registrants.
Small Business Champion - Remote
The Small Business Champion’s main function is to provide high-quality coaching to small business owners to help them achieve success. You will be responsible for working one-on-one and in small groups with business founders to discuss progress toward their goals and provide feedback and encouragement as needed.
Job Duties
- Analyzing information related to a business’s performance in order to make strategic recommendations for improvement
- Developing and implementing coaching strategies to fit the individual needs of founders
- Conducting planning sessions with founders to help them set goals and develop strategies for achieving those goals
- Helping founders develop strategies for improving employee productivity, increasing sales, and boosting profits
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.
Wellness & Community
Never go alone with access to wellness coaches, mentors, and our community of driven entrepreneurs to help you thrive.
