Savannah State University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), has partnered with SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, to help students gain valuable skills in planning, launching and operating their own businesses. Six local business people from the SCORE network will mentor students throughout March culminating in a business pitch competition later this spring.
“We are grateful for the relationship with SCORE and the valuable expertise
they are sharing with our students,” said Nicole Cannonier, Ph.D., Savannah
State University’s associate professor of management. “It is an enriching
partnership, one which provides students the one-on-one attention of a mentor
and the resources to make business ownership a reality, even before they
graduate.”
The
highly-skilled SCORE team is organized with each mentor focused on a different
business area including marketing and public relations, sales, operations,
strategy and planning, business plan development and start-up assistance. The
six professionals are listed below, along with their industry specialization:
- Jessica
Belfry –
Branding, employee relations, business acquisitions, environmentally-friendly
business practices, budgeting and goal-setting
- Gia Boulos
– Recruiting and
operations, building diverse and inclusive teams
- Kewaan K.
Drayton –
Customer relations, and no cost/low-cost methods to jumpstart a business
- Valerie
Reynolds –
Increased workflow efficiency, market penetration, profit gains, and
financial accountability
- Amy Shippy – Food and beverage entities,
event planning, customer service, coaching, and sales
- Michelle
Stenson –
Financial goals, college funding, retirement, managing costs for extended
periods of care and lifetime income strategies
The strategic collaboration
with SCORE and the university’s partner organizations are pillars of the CIE’s
programming, offered to increase business creation for African Americans and
underrepresented entrepreneurs and innovators. For more information, contact
Dr. Cannonier by emailing cannoniern@savannahstate.edu or by calling 912-358-3421.