{"id":6639,"date":"2023-07-25T11:35:33","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T11:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wilkinsburgcdc.org\/?p=6639"},"modified":"2023-07-26T18:04:32","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T18:04:32","slug":"business-development-cohort-celebrates-eighth-set-of-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wilkinsburgcdc.org\/2023\/07\/business-development-cohort-celebrates-eighth-set-of-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Development Cohort Celebrates Eighth Set of Graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo Credit: Gail Manker<\/em><\/p>\n

After eight weeks of training and coursework, graduation day finally arrived for participants of the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation\u2019s Core Four Workshop Series<\/a>. Excitement and steady chatter flowed with the warm breeze as participants\u2019 family members and friends, sponsors, and guests gathered at the Sherwood Event Center for the grand event.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graduates possess the ambition to follow in the footsteps of successful Core Four alumni like Attorney Abigail Salisbury, a current Pennsylvania State Representative and KSC Commercial Cleaning Services owner Karen Denton the owner of a three-story building housing her business and space for other entrepreneurs. Other notable alumni include Christian Neal, an aspiring landscaping company owner, whose mother built\u00a0 the largest Black owned chain of McDonald’s restaurants throughout Pittsburgh. The\u00a0 familiarity and the knowledge Neal\u00a0 gained from the classes on marketing and promotions, is going to catapult him to become one of the largest minority landscaping companies in the area.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Impressed with the turnout during the June 2023 graduation, Gordon Manker, WCDC director of business development and head of the Core Four Workshop Series, identified the audience as one of the largest to date. The workshop series originated in 2015. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo date we have serviced close to 200 students and have touched over 500 lives along the way,\u201d said Manker.<\/span><\/p>\n

The class included 14 workshop participants:\u00a0 Brenda<\/span> Stewart, Britney Gooden, Brittnay Davis, Stacey Sherer, Tiara Simmons, Michele Carter, Alicia Jordan, Christian Neal, DiRay Jolly, Tracie Dillard, Cornell Jones, Natalie McAllister, Casaundra Davis, and Dorian Page. The mix of potential, start up, and existing business ideas included chocolate candy making, landscaping, medical supply transportation, online retail, mobile notary, health, and beauty, commercial plumbing supply, female self-defense supplier, nursing consultant, esthetician, building restoration<\/span>, <\/span>and various types of real estate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The workshop series is a free business planning program for people aiming to launch, expand or relocate a business. According to Manker the business planning course teaches the fundamental skill sets to position partakers for success. Participants testified that they learned marketing techniques, the importance of networking, accounting, cash flow and pricing. Being with like-minded people and sharing common feelings with classmates was a benefit of the class for Brittnay Davis, who is aiming to start a mobile notary business. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis class helped me show up for myself,\u201d Davis said. Several people that started working on their business ideas during the Covid 19 pandemic period credit the class for assisting them in gaining confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manker, also an entrepreneur and US veteran, stressed the importance of networking, establishing relationships, and building a bank of resources. \u201cWe have connected the participants with local entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals that can assist with marketing, accounting, and other areas of need, but they have to develop and maintain the relationships,\u201d said Manker.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The WCDC Focuses on supporting the Borough\u2019s business community<\/a> by providing an abundance of resources to existing <\/span>businesses. The WCDC continues building on their goal to revitalize the business district through their Fa\u00e7ade Renovation Program<\/a>, and by acquiring funding to support business programming to include renewing the Rental Assistance Program<\/a> for commercial tenants. <\/span><\/p>\n

Inspired and pleased to award the 2023 Core Four Workshop Series graduates, WCDC Executive Director, Tracey Evans encouraged them to maintain their quest for entrepreneurship: \u201cThank you for your goals and aspirations. Continue to utilize the resources and networks the program provided because business is about relationships and remember that we are always here for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A special thank you to the sponsors who make the Core Four Program possible:<\/p>\n