The Charleston Metro Chamber is committed to leading our region’s businesses in creating an equitable community where everyone has the opportunity to live, learn and earn. The Lowcountry Minority Business Accelerator (MBA), presented by Bank of America, is a newly-launched Charleston Metro Chamber program that provides opportunities for economic growth and prosperity for high-potential minority-owned firms. This program is in partnership with the South Carolina Minority Business Accelerator, a statewide initiative formed by the Greenville Chamber, Charleston Metro Chamber and Columbia Chamber and was funded by a seed grant from Bank of America.
“We are extremely excited to launch the Lowcountry MBA program,” said Richard Waring, Vice President of DE&I at the Charleston Metro Chamber. “Our hope for these entrepreneurs is that they will learn invaluable information about growing their businesses, feel empowered to make a larger impact and continue to play an integral role in our region’s business environment.”
The inaugural class will be led by instructor, Wendell Jones, an experienced professional with deep financial industry knowledge and professional and management development training. Wendell will lead the instruction of program participants, preparing these high-potential minority-owned businesses for growth and expansion. He will be utilizing the award-winning and internationally-recognized StreetWise ‘MBA’™ curriculum created by Interise, which aids business owners in developing a three-year Strategic Growth Action Plan™.
“As the instructor for the MBA program, I’m excited and honored to do my part in the uplift of all communities within the Lowcountry,” says Wendell Jones. “As we continue to empower small business owners within disadvantaged groups, they, in turn, will provide solutions for the various economic disparities facing our region. I’m proud to be a team member within the Charleston Metro Chamber as we lead the charge in these efforts.”
The inaugural class of Lowcountry MBA participants below represent high-potential businesses from a variety of industries including Property Management, Logistics, IT Services, Real Estate, Food and Beverage, Media and Marketing and more.
| Name | Organization |
| Frank Ancrum | Hard Hat Transportation, LLC |
| Christy Bell | Cookie.Dough.Love |
| Madeleine Frume and Kat Drayton | KPM CHASSIS |
| Omega Felder | Sole Salvation LLC |
| Sarina Freincle | La’Roc Beauty |
| Safiya Grant | Hannibal Kitchen |
| Courtney Harris | Recovery-N-Motion Physical Therapy + Wellness |
| Isabel Lavandero | Publicity Sign & Printing |
| Adrian Lorduy and Andres Lorduy | BuenaVista Information Systems LLC |
| Jaymes McCloud | J.H.W. Enterprises Property Management, Inc. |
| Regina Robinson | Prime Time Logistics LLC |
| Fernando Soto | New Digital Press |
| Virgil Wade | Dream Team Constructions LLC |
| Ebony Hilton, Kellye McKenzie and Kimberly Butler Willis | GOODSTOCK Consulting, LLC |
| Jenna Richardson and Natalie Wright | Real Estate House International |
Funded with a seed grant from Bank of America, the initiative was designed to advance economic inclusion across the state of South Carolina by helping to reduce the economic disparities experienced by minority-owned businesses.
The Founding Partners of the Lowcountry MBA program include Bank of America, Charleston County, City of Charleston, City of North Charleston, Coastal Community Foundation, The InterTech Group, Dominion Energy and SCRA. To learn more about the Lowcountry Minority Business Accelerator, visit charlestonchamber.org/mba.
Presented by:
Thank you to our Founding Partners:
