The Urban League of Greater Atlanta is supporting local entrepreneurs.
By Cory Sekine-Pettite
As every experienced business owner can tell you, one of biggest obstacles to starting a venture is getting the initial funding — whether that’s a bank loan or finding investors who believe in your vision. This process can be more difficult for minority-group entrepreneurs, who are half as likely to be approved for financing, according to the Federal Reserve. The Urban League of Greater Atlanta is working to improve the chances of success for minority-owned businesses through its Metro Atlanta Capital Readiness Program (MACRP).
The League launched its MACRP within the Entrepreneurship Center to support socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (or SEDIs, including minorities, women, veterans, and other underserved entrepreneurs) across six counties (Cobb, Clayton, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Henry). Entrepreneurs in the program learn how to successfully apply for financing via the State Small Business Credit Initiative or other programs that support small businesses.
The program, which began in 2023, is a four-year initiative that offers entrepreneurs “business assessment and coaching with an individualized action plan, financial education, certification(s), and capital readiness for a variety of funding sources (traditional funding, CDFI funding, lines of credit, angel investors, etc.), and procurement education,” said Stephaney Bolden, MACRP program manager.
MACRP offers two tracks for SEDIs: 1) a small business incubator early-stage platform and 2) a small business capital readiness accelerator with technical assistance model. The program launched with a four-year federally funded grant awarded by the Minority Business Development Agency to support small businesses. Bolden says MACRP has assisted more than 128 businesses and connected them to more than $1.7 million in capital.
For example, The Entrepreneurship Center provided $420,000 in small business grants to 21 small business owners in Cobb County in 2024 and guided those businesses in pitch coaching and business technical assistance.
Bolden says businesses are encouraged to apply to the program on the League’s website (ulgatl.org), selecting the Entrepreneurship Center icon. There they will see the various programs available with descriptions, and they can register for free programs that fit their needs.
Lisa Lindsay, owner of FruiTea Bubbles Café in Smyrna, sought help from the League to overcome the high costs of equipment upgrades and investing in new product development. Additionally, she wanted to secure sufficient funding and resources to support strategic marketing efforts. She said that through the MasterCard accelerator, she was able to review her business strategies, learn how to develop a better business plan, and determine better ways to market the FruiTea brand. “Although I was already in business, the knowledge gain through this accelerator and the associated coaching helped me to develop a more focused growth strategy,” Lindsay said. “I was also — through the business coaching program — able to understand funding, marketing, and many other aspects of running my business.”
Lindsay added that the League programs prepared her to apply for additional funding, including a Cobb program in which she received a $20,000 grant.
MACRP is one of various programs the League operates to help small businesses develop, grow, and thrive. Dedicated to ensuring the civil rights and economic success of African Americans, the League began operations in Atlanta in 1920 as an affiliate of the National Urban League to support Black families who were migrating from the rural communities of Georgia in unprecedented numbers to the industrialized city of Atlanta.
Today, the agency focuses on preparing the workforce for high-demand, high-income careers; raising the graduation rate and preparing youth for college and careers; facilitating homeownership and wealth creation; supporting entrepreneurship and small business growth; and advocating for education, civic engagement, and economic development for the undeserved in the Atlanta region and beyond in the state of Georgia.
Over the years, the League has aided more than 250,000 low-to-moderate income people in securing jobs, purchasing homes, improving their job skills and education, and starting or growing their businesses.
“ULGA is a trusted and respected community stakeholder that prides itself on being a good steward of its partners’ support and delivering outcomes that help families become financially stable and begin to build generational wealth,” Bolden said.
ULGA extends appreciation to their numerous partners including Cobb County, Invest Atlanta, City of Atlanta, Dekalb County, Fulton County, Georgia Power, UPS, and Delta. To learn more about how you or your organization can become a partner, visit ulgatl.org/become-a-sponsor, or contact John E. Armstrong Jr., chief fund development officer, at jarmstrong@ulgatl.org or 404.798.3463. Your support helps individuals and families advance through economic mobility, financial security, and civic activism to strengthen their neighborhoods and communities.
ULGA hosts events throughout the year that bring together entrepreneurs, business owners, and finance experts. Visit ulgatl.org/all-events to see what is coming up.
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