Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages, NewTown Macon announce downtown grant winners
Five Black entrepreneurs received $5,000 grants as part of Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages and NewTown Macon’s Downtown Diversity Initiative Tuesday morning.
The initiative is a 10-week business training and recruitment program designed to attract more Black business owners and customers to downtown Macon. The 2022 cohort featured 13 entrepreneurs who successfully pitched their concepts before judges and graduated from the program.
“These initiatives continue to generate progress in providing resources, training, and incentives which will result in more African American businesses establishing successful locations downtown,” said Alex Habersham, publisher of the Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages. “There are direct and indirect benefits of the program which are manifested regularly by all participants.”
Since the program, which is funded by Wells Fargo, began in 2019, the percentage of Black-owned businesses in downtown Macon has increased 10%, according to a press release. NewTown Macon hopes to increase the percentage of Black-owned downtown businesses from 18 to 30%.
The grant winners were:
- Tedra Huston, MJM Consolidated Services: a consulting service that educates local Maconites on how to acquire and develop property in the community;
- Geleesa Denton, Manicured: an upscale men’s grooming spa that offers progressive gentlemen a haven to relax and experience the art of grooming and spa services in an atmosphere that is both masculine and therapeutic;
- Materra Drafts, Niche 385: an open-concept lounge and hookah bar that allows customers to “create their niche”;
- ShaBrea Duffy, Perfect Party Solutions (better known as Triple P): a staffing agency that educates, trains, and partners with local business owners to supply emergency staff for local clubs and lounges;
- Dr. Anissa Jones & Deon Aiken, Total Fuze Apothecary: a Georgia-based retailer of essential oils, candles, body scrubs, and custom blended oils. Our products are doctor formulated and 100 percent organically sourced from certified growers in the U.S.A.
This story was originally published September 13, 2022 at 2:29 PM.