National Small Business Week brought a wave of energy and activity to Memphis last week, with a series of engaging events hosted locally that celebrated and empowered the city's vital entrepreneurial community. Memphis Medical District Collaborative welcomed a vibrant audience for three key events designed to connect, educate, and inspire small business owners.
These gatherings, held at Ugly Art Co., offered small businesses direct access to key decision-makers and provided platforms for impromptu connections and discussions that served as practical, surprise engagement opportunities for the audience.
Meet the Government Specialists kicked off the week with insightful conversation about how to do business with the government. Dr. Daphnie Swift, owner of A Cut Above Lawn Service, and Korey Adams, owner of Distinction, LLC., took listeners from start to finish with stories, answers, and anecdotes on how to monitor and adjust to meet the needs of people and systems. Attendees benefited from direct interaction and Q&A opportunities, fostering a dynamic environment for learning and networking.
Pitch to the Procurement Specialists gave participants a chance to pitch to a procurement official, a serial entrepreneur, and one of MMDC's employees who had experience pitching procurement teams. Starting entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with over 30 years' experience pitched on the spot to Stan Brady, Marisha Wallace, and Kirkwood Vangeli, and they provided candid feedback.
Cafe Noir, a cafe and bookstore moving into the Medical District, provided refreshments and offered a signature coffee beverage for the #NSBW events.
The week's local celebrations culminated on Friday with the 2nd Annual Buy Local Luncheon. This closing event, featuring a tasty lunch by Alcenia’s in the Pinch District, provided a relaxed setting for participants to hear a motivating keynote by acclaimed author Christin Webb, network further, share takeaways from the week, and celebrate the collective strength and contributions of Memphis and the Medical District’s small business sector. Two businesses, MedHaul and W&T Contracting, were honored for their success.
National Small Business Week in the Medical District exemplified the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the city, and we will continue to highlight Medical District businesses and business owners through education, collaboration, and connection. This was the second year MMDC hosted a series of events. This year's events were sponsored by the Tennessee APEX Accelerator and First Horizon Foundation.
Highlights from the Buy Local Luncheon
Highlights from National Small Business Week
