MACON, Ga. — Five new business in Macon are on the rise!
NewTown Macon and the Macon-Middle Georgia Black Pages announced the winners of its Downtown Diversity Initiative at Barefoot Tavern Wednesday.
The initiative is a 10-week business training and recruitment program designed to attract more African-American business owners and customers to the urban core.
Five graduates with the highest scores after pitching their concept to a panel of judges were awarded $5,000 to help start or expand their current businesses.
- Felicia Kim, Latricia Gittens, and Chris Gittens, The Wonder Twinz, LLC: a fitness instruction company that inspires mental and physical awareness;
- Erika Morgan and Trent Morgan, Macon Homes & Construction, LLC: a construction company that offers a wide range of services from painting and pressure washing to finished carpentry and floor installation;
- Patrice Bass, Just Juicy, LLC: a juicing company that creates cold pressed juices, herbal teas, and herbal supplements;
- Tiffany Minter, InstaMajic Photobooth, LLC: an event company that specializes in providing a 360-degree photobooth experience;
- Sherrod Motely and Swati Motely, Motely's Community Store, LLC: a local community store that sells Georgia grown produce and hot meals.
Tiffany Minter, the owner of InstaMajic Photobooth, says the initiative has helped her in many ways.
"During this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of my business finances," said Minter. "I also have new friendships and potential partnerships, and then I also have a group of professionals that support my business."
Only 18% of downtown Macon businesses are Black-owned, while the population of Macon-Bibb County is 54% African-American.