Aspiring Community Entrepreneurs

For ACE Fellow Myeichia Jackson, she was already an entrepreneur before entering the ACE program but needed help taking her business to the next level. Her venture, Bird’s Eye Eco Cleaning Services, was built largely on trial and error. When she learned about the ACE program, she saw an opportunity to develop a plan that would allow her to grow intentionally.

“My biggest challenge was scaling the business and knowing about the opportunities, where they are, and how to get them,” Jackson said. “A lot of us jump out there and don’t know what to expect. When I saw their email that said, ‘we give you the 80 steps of successful entrepreneurship,’ I was like, ‘yes, I need that!’”

The ACE program bootcamp and consulting phases introduced Jackson to financial management, strategy development, and other elements of entrepreneurial thinking. It also helped her address real challenges, such as making improvements to her financial management system.

The impact was immediate. With new tools and confidence, Jackson expanded beyond residential cleaning into commercial contracts, dramatically increased her revenue by 600 percent.

Still a student in the program, Jackson encourages anyone thinking about starting a business to enroll.

“Being an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you know everything,” she said. “If you’re willing to learn, ACE is definitely the program for you. To me, it stands for Accountability, Connectivity, and Encouragement, because that’s what I get from it.”

🎥 Watch more inspiring ACE entrepreneur stories here: bit.ly/aceworldcupkickoff

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Through a powerful collaboration between Kennesaw State University's Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University , MUST Ministries , the University of Notre Dame 's Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) | McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business and Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. , the ACE Program is helping entrepreneurs transform big dreams into thriving businesses that strengthen our communities.

For ACE Fellow Sara Rose Davenport, her entrepreneurial journey began during a time of personal struggle. After contracting COVID while working as a nurse’s assistant in 2023, she found herself suffering physically and emotionally. Making art lifted her spirits and she imagined ways to help others benefit from the healing power of art. It was during her recovery that Davenport received an email inviting her into the ACE program’s inaugural cohort.

“It was very exciting and daunting at times because I realized there was so much that I didn’t know,” she said. “Everybody was very welcoming and they provided me with so much information.”

Through ACE, Davenport connected to mentors who taught her the importance of resilience.

“I learned not to become dejected when things don’t go exactly how you expect them to go,” she said. “The journey of entrepreneurship is full of unexpected surprises. Sometimes there are hurdles that you have to jump over and you have to adapt.”

Today her nonprofit, Comeback Kid Studios, provides essentials to people facing hardship: winter clothing, hygiene items and even art supplies, which Davenport views as critical for emotional healing.

“It gives this true sense of purpose and fulfillment to express yourself artistically,” she said. “I think everyone is an artist in their own right, and everybody should be creative and have access to art supplies. That’s our vision for Comeback Kid Studios.”

🎥 Watch more of these inspiring entrepreneur stories here: bit.ly/aceworldcupkickoff

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Through a powerful collaboration between Kennesaw State University's Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University , MUST Ministries , the University of Notre Dame 's Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) | McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business , and The Coca-Cola Company | Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. , the ACE Program is helping entrepreneurs transform big dreams into thriving businesses that strengthen our communities.

ACE Fellow David Blake, II of Royalty Martial Arts in Marietta, GA shares how the ACE Program helped prepare him to take over ownership of a franchise on his own. We love his story!

Through a powerful collaboration between Kennesaw State University's Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University , MUST Ministries , the University of Notre Dame 's Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) | McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business and The Coca-Cola Company | Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc., the ACE Program is helping entrepreneurs transform big dreams into thriving businesses that strengthen our communities long after the final whistle.

From nonprofits changing lives through art, to studios building future leaders, to businesses experiencing remarkable growth, these entrepreneurs are proof that when we invest in people, entire communities win.

The world may be watching Atlanta because of soccer this summer - but we hope they'll also see a city committed to opportunity, innovation and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

🎥 Learn more and watch these inspiring entrepreneur stories here: bit.ly/aceworldcupkickoff

⚽ As the world turns its eyes to Atlanta during the FIFA World Cup 26™, we're proud to show the world something else our city does exceptionally well: investing in entrepreneurs. As part of our own ACE World Cup Kickoff, we're highlighting just a few of the incredible entrepreneurs whose stories prove that when you invest in people, entire communities thrive.

A special thank you to Mayor Andre Dickens for sharing his support of the ACE (Aspiring Community Entrepreneurs) Program and recognizing the importance of empowering local small businesses as Atlanta welcomes visitors from around the globe.

Through a powerful collaboration between Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University , MUST Ministries , the University of Notre Dame 's Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI) | McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame , and The Coca-Cola Company | Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc. , the ACE Program is helping entrepreneurs transform big dreams into thriving businesses that strengthen our communities long after the final whistle.

From nonprofits changing lives through art, to martial arts studios building future leaders, to businesses experiencing remarkable growth, these entrepreneurs are proof that when we invest in people, entire communities win.

The world may be watching Atlanta because of soccer this summer - but we hope they'll also see a city committed to opportunity, innovation and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Thank you, Mayor Dickens, for helping shine a spotlight on this incredible work!

🎥 Watch these inspiring entrepreneur stories here: bit.ly/aceworldcupkickoff

What if the thing someone needs most isn't another lecture, another program or another solution? What if it's a paintbrush? A sketchpad. A chance to create.

When ACE Fellow Sarah Rose Davenport talks about providing art supplies to children in foster care and others navigating trauma, she gets emotional - and for good reason. Because behind every donation is a person. A story. A chance to heal. This is what purpose-driven entrepreneurship looks like.

🎥 A sneak peek from Sarah's upcoming ACE Fellow spotlight.

Stay tuned for the full story.