Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program graduates
Since
Goldman Sachs
10,000 Small Businesses launched at Dallas College in 2014 with its first 35 entrepreneurs, more than 800 have completed the program. Some of its latest and earliest alums gathered this past December to celebrate 10 years of networking and creating a stronger small business community in North Texas.
During the 12-week education program and its intensive curriculum designed by Babson College, entrepreneurs work with like-minded small business owners, receive one-on-one advice and learn skills for growth. Among key program advantages cited by alums are: the supportive network of entrepreneurs, creation of a personalized business growth plan and learning how to effectively tell their story to gain funding and sales.
“For the past 10 years, through
10,000 Small Businesses, we have been able to provide small business owners with resources and tools they need to succeed. This ensures that these entrepreneurs can continue to create jobs and uplift our local economy and communities,” said Chris Bradshaw, Dallas College executive director for Goldman Sachs
10,000 Small Businesses.
Hussain Manjee, alum of the first
10,000 Small Businesses cohort at Dallas College, now calls himself a serial entrepreneur, investor and community servant. Though he’d already completed an MBA when he participated, he said the program was invaluable in allowing him to focus on his own business. He built a growth plan and learned how to secure resources to succeed.
“When I went through the program 10 years ago, I didn’t think it would open up as many doors as it did,” Manjee said. “The magic of
10,000 Small Businesses doesn’t end with completion of the program — it’s the friendships, community and shared moments of triumph and resilience. It’s paying it forward — mentoring others, pouring into the next generation and showing up every single day as a leader.”
Today, he is president and chief success officer for DHD Films and is known for his civic engagement and community building.
“Governments can only do so much; it’s about the business community and the civic community. I’ve achieved only because people poured into me,” Manjee said.
Mari Gonzales is also an alum of the first Dallas College cohort. Today, she runs Heart of a Servant Leader Consulting. Their mission is to help businesses make the world a better place, one business at a time. They help businesses operationally improve to increase capacity to serve clients, families and the community. She has found
10,000 Small Businesses invaluable in running her own company.
“As an entrepreneur, you don’t have that ecosystem of people to help, and that's what
10,000 Small Businesses created for me. It’s an ecosystem of high performing, driven entrepreneurs who all help each other,” she said. “It has been an amazing experience!”
And it’s a program that keeps on giving, Gonzales added. During the pandemic,10,000 Small Businesses held national webinars for the alumni with support for business survival and recovery. They continue to hold national webinars and in-person refresher clinics.
Recent program graduate Jonathan Geffrard runs Gramercy Advisors, a consultancy company focused on the hospitality space, including bars, restaurants and hotels. Hoping to expand into health care and retail, he participated in
10,000 Small Businesses last fall.
“My business has been word of mouth, so I needed to understand how to use social media and marketing, and how to build a sales pipeline,” Geffrard said. “With
10,000 Small Businesses, there are a lot of different ways you can get involved and get an understanding of how to take your business to the next level.”
“Business ownership can be a lonely venture,” he said. “Understanding that your problems are not unique allows you to get over roadblocks more quickly and think strategically.”
The 32nd Dallas College cohort will take place this summer, May 15-Aug. 15. You can find more information by
visiting the
10,000 Small Businesses webpage.