Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Hosts Graduation Ceremony
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (December 13, 2023) — On December 7, “The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Cohort 40 Celebration of Success” was hosted at LaGuardia Community College, recognizing its largest cohort of 39 small businesses that graduated from the program. The Ribbon Ceremony, took place in NYDesigns and The Celebration of Success was presented in the 10KSB Education Center in room C-701.
Dr. Assuanta Howard, Assistant Dean, Business Services & Executive Director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program, said this cohort represents a wide cross-section of industries: Accounting Services, Construction, Consulting, Cosmetics, Education, Health Services, Food and beverage, IT, Logistics, Public Relations Firms, Security, and Video Production.
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a $500 million national program designed to help small businesses in the United States create jobs and economic growth by providing entrepreneurs with a practical business education, access to capital and business support services. The program is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to this combination of services best addresses barriers to growth.
Through the support of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, business owners selected to participate in 10,000 Small Businesses will receive a scholarship covering program tuition and materials.
In 2010 LaGuardia Community College was selected by Goldman Sachs as the 10,000 Small Businesses first community college in the country for this initiative – a test case that has since expanded beyond New York to Chicago, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Since the founding of the program, 10,000 Small Businesses at LaGuardia has trained 850 businesses that have created new jobs, secured loans, and negotiated new contracts. Through the support of Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, each business owner that is selected to participate in the program at LaGuardia will receive a scholarship to cover program tuition and materials.
Dr. Howard said in this cohort, represented: 271 Full-Time Employees, 83 Part-Time Employees, 142 Temporary/Contract Workers, and $28.7 Million in YTD 2022 Revenue.
The class speakers for the graduation ceremony were nominated by the cohort, and they were Diana Manalang, President of Little Chef Little Chef Cafe, Damali Alexander, owner of DnA Logistics, and Dr. Christine Ghilain, owner of Brain Health Neuropsychology.
Dr. Howard said, “We congratulate these graduates and appreciate the phenomenal program team that includes MJ Escobar Collins, Rodlens Dauphin, Paisley Demby, Business Advisors Demica Durr, Hector Molina, and Deena Boykins, Erika Correa, Sandra Mejia, Frederick John, and more who have built an impactful program over the last 13 years.”
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 degrees and certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to educate New Yorkers seeking new skills and careers. As an institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of underserved populations. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students while providing them with access to a high quality, affordable college education.
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