From Startup Macon:

Startup-Macon is a newly formed program being overseen by SparkMacon for the benefit of all Macon entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial support organizations (ESO’s) thanks to a $250,000 donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation . The program seeks to deliver on three fronts:

• Engaging active entrepreneurs and those individuals looking to take the entrepreneurial leap by assessing their needs and addressing those needs by making connections with the right local resources and entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs).
• Connecting all local ESO’s to ensure Macon entrepreneurs have local access to key programming and resources.
• Startup-Macon will serve as the community-wide brand for entrepreneurship and promote Macon’s entrepreneurial community locally, regionally and statewide to attract entrepreneurs and resources to Macon.

To help achieve these three goals, Startup-Macon is proud to announce the hiring of Heaven Whitby as Director and Community Navigator.  Heaven is a proud Macon entrepreneur with a passion for her community and supporting entrepreneurs. Heaven will work daily with entrepreneurs throughout the community to ensure they are getting the support they need, and track their growth and impact on Macon.

“There is so much creativity, innovation, and opportunity in Macon. I am honored to be a part of the reason that all three have a greater impact on our communities,” says Ms. Whitby.

SparkMacon’s Director, Robert Grant, says, “Heaven has been a part of our entrepreneurial ecosystem for years. We are excited to see her transition from being a piece of that ecosystem to being a leader within it.”

Startup-Macon is also a 24/7 resource to entrepreneurs.  This community ecosystem website is dedicated to educating and connecting entrepreneurs with all local ESO’s, their services, and support.  The site also provides a central calendar of programming and events for entrepreneurs as well as a platform for entrepreneurs to digitally engage with each other.

“By digitally mapping Macon’s resources, we will make it that much easier to start and grow your business”, said Andrew Eck, local entrepreneur, and Chairman of SparkMacon.

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ABOUT Startup-Macon

Startup-Macon is a program dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in Macon through assessments, referrals and tracking toward their success.  Startup-Macon seeks to promote Macon’s entrepreneurial community locally, regionally, and statewide so that those entrepreneurs that could thrive in Macon will know how best to connect and engage. For more information, visit www.startup-macon.com or call 478-607-8122.

ABOUT John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

We are social investors who support democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once had newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.

ABOUT Forward Macon

Forward Macon is a combined funding vehicle that funds several important initiatives of the OneMacon plan including workforce development, recruitment and retention efforts, entrepreneurial support efforts, and neighborhood capacity building efforts.  Forward Macon is the result of a $3MM collaborative fundraising campaign led by the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and aided by SparkMacon, and other OneMacon partners.