Southwest’s Entrepreneurship Day celebrates local businesses in Memphis
By Business and Legal Studies Staff
(L-R) Alfred Washington, CEO of Top Notch Security; Frank
Briggs, program director of Gateway Learning Academy;
NaShawn Branch, executive director of TSBDC; and Dr. Tarcia
Gilliam-Parrish, founding partner of The Power of Engagement
at the Spark the Dream Entrepreneurship Day Feb. 21, 2023.
Southwest's Business and Legal Studies and Tennessee Small Business and Development Center (TSBDC) welcomed nearly 100 students from Cordova High School, Memphis Business Academy, Mitchell High School, Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School, and Southwest students to Entrepreneurship Day held at the college's Farris Auditorium Feb. 21, 2023.
“The Business and Legal Studies Department of Southwest Tennessee Community College is a connector for local practitioners, local high schools, and Southwest students who share a passion for business and entrepreneurship,” said Professor of Business and Legal Studies Dr. Joan McGrory. “Entrepreneurship Day was inspirational and successful for connecting business-minded people with the resources and knowledge to grow their careers and businesses in our local community.”
After opening remarks by McGrory, Entrepreneurship Day began with an overview of free services for local businesses presented by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) at Southwest Executive Director Dr. NaShawn Branch.
Session one introduced a team of 10 presenters from ABB, a multinational corporation and electrification products company based in Memphis, Tenn. They described their unique roles in the company’s global operations and then challenged the students in a dynamic question-and-answer session. Students learned about career opportunities at ABB and how education and job skills can create an opportunity for advancement in its growing industry.
Session two presented the Spark the Dream panel of entrepreneurs moderated by Branch in a modern gameshow host style that excited and engaged the audience. The board of local entrepreneurs included Alfred Washington, CEO of Top Notch Security, Mrs. Frank Briggs, program director of Gateway Learning Academy, and Dr. Tarcia Gilliam-Parrish, founding partner of The Power of Engagement, who shared their experiences of starting and growing successful businesses that benefit the Memphis community. They discussed how they are meeting marketplace needs, navigating the challenges and risks of business ownership and generational wealth-building.
According to Branch, “Entrepreneurship Day was a significant and worthy endeavor offered by Southwest because it enabled students and other community members to critically think about the problems in their community and consider entrepreneurship as an economical solution to further their lives and the lives of their families. Southwest and the TSBDC proudly serve as a connectivity hub in our community.”
In This Issue...
- From the President
- Dr. Shelia Bouie named to Memphis Business Journal’s Woman Leading in Nursing
- Welcome Aboard!
- Southwest introduces new offboarding policy
- Southwest athletics continue to rack up post-season accolades
- Southwest reimagines career pathways; launches Southwest Workforce Solutions Center
- Southwest’s Chris Camp receives the distinguished Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition Award
- Southwest physical therapist assistant student Eboni Benson finds purpose in helping others
- Stan Bell returns to Southwest as master of ceremonies for the 2023 Faculty and Staff Awards
- Communication, Fine Arts and Graphics department expands curriculum with sought-after industry credentials
- Go Red at Southwest campaign yields a year of heart-smart choices
- Southwest celebrates Saluqi baseball’s record-breaking season
- Southwest’s Entrepreneurship Day celebrates local businesses in Memphis
- HONORS ACADEMY ALUMNI: Where Are They Now?
- Southwest welcomes 39 inductees into the National Society of Leadership and Success
- Southwest taps Dr. Carol Ash as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development
- Southwest hires Jeremy Shirley as Associate Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications
- Alma Rutledge named Dean of Students
- Summer Institute 2023 focuses on reimagining Southwest
- Southwest’s Phi Theta Kappa inducts 16 members in candlelight ceremony
- Project M.O.S.T. celebrates the 11th annual Men in Black Awards
- Q & A with Admissions Recruiter Elizabeth Clark
- More than 1200 credentials conferred at twenty-fifth Commencement
- Southwest Professor Dr. Marcia Hunter debuts book on fulfilling one’s dreams
- Employees preview a reimagined student experience at College’s Gallery Walk
- Southwest’s stellar scholars honored at 2023 Student Honors & Awards Convocation
- Memphis Light, Gas & Water, AT&T and Comcast launch workforce pipeline partnership with Southwest
- President Tracy D. Hall named a top 100 Leader in the Memphis community
- Southwest hosts caring conversations in wake of Tyre Nichols’ death