At T.D. Jakes' second annual Good Soil Forum, which featured a seed capital pitch competition kin to Shark Tank, the underlying idea that brought more than 2,000 entrepreneurs into one room was the desire to grow. The first event was held in Orlando last year. But according to T.D. Jakes Enterprises COO Michael Phillips, Dallas, too, has rich soil filled with shining entrepreneurs that deserve a chance to receive the spotlight. And that spotlight was a chance to compete for $500,000 of seed money—double what the organization and its partner Wells Fargo granted to Orlando-based entrepreneurs.
Each entrepreneur was given five minutes to pitch their company and how they'd use the funding to a panel of judges.
Olaiya, a personal trainer and the founder of Good News Fitness , has become one of the fastest-growing health and human performance enhancement businesses in Washington D.C. With a master's in performance enhancement and injury prevention, he uses his skillset to create a personalized experience for his clients.
"There are unique struggles and unique challenges that Black leaders face in corporate America,⁘ Phillips said. ⁘There's a certain freedom that Black people have within entrepreneurship, but there's also the same challenges there, as well. As an entrepreneur, you may not have that guaranteed paycheck coming every two weeks, but you do have the finances, you do have the freedom of your time to go out and try to build as much equity and, wealth as possible. DEI programs and initiatives are starting to be removed from different corporate landscapes and sectors across the board. No one's coming to save us, we have to really provide platforms and resources to help save ourselves."
The event, which was three days long and much more than the pitch competition, featured the likes of Tabitha Brown, Warren Luckett, Jay Barnett, Leon Howard, and more influential figures in business. The event was filled with educational sessions about the upside of entrepreneurship, but also the barriers POC communities face in breaking out on their own. Topics centered around building wealth, having the right credit, and maintaining trust in your own business.
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