From business coaching to financial literacy and low-interest loans, Spark Thomasville is helping local entrepreneurs grow businesses that create jobs and boost Thomasvilles economy.
11 entrepreneurs participate in Spark Thomasvilles 12-week program, receiving in-class lessons, one-on-one coaching, and financial guidance. Participants can apply for low-interest loans through the Spark Alumni Fund to expand operations, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy. Watch the video to see how the programs helps build generational wealth, economic vitality, and a support network for underestimated entrepreneurs in Thomasville.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
According to 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 50% of small businesses nationwide close within five years and many fail in the first.
I’m taking a closer look at how one local nonprofit is helping entrepreneurs beat the odds through training, mentorship, and access to capital.
Local businesses are the backbone of Thomasville’s economy, providing jobs and essential services.
But keeping them running isn’t easy, and community support is critical. T
That’s where Deshay Williams, CEO of Spark Thomasville, comes in.
“They’re coming together collectively to serve a bigger community need. So not only are we just seeing, you know, the person develop as a professional, the business develop, the community develop, economic vitality develop, a community is getting stronger too. And they’re creating an ecosystem where dollars are generated in this economy, in Thomasville, and they’re staying in Thomasville, and they’re growing in Thomasville,” said Williams.
One of these entrepreneurs is Deborah Warren, who spent 28 years in IT.
She says being a Black woman in a male-dominated, technical field came with challenges and trauma, and now she wants to help others overcome similar obstacles.
“I wanted to take the stigma away from therapy, right? So a lot of times people think about therapy as being more clinical, like going to the doctor, going to the psychiatrist, going to the psychologist, and they don’t want to do that. Who wants to do that? Because it sounds like they have a mental health issue,” said Warren.
While she’s already started her coaching work, Deborah wants to expand her reach with guided community events and other projects.
“So SPARK is to help me get to the next level with that, right, to exponentially help me get to the next level, whereas, you know, I started the mental health thing probably about a year and a half ago online, but I want to expand, and SPARK is going to help me to do that,” said Warren.
The 12-week program includes hands-on training, weekly one-on-one coaching, and financial guidance, helping entrepreneurs not only access capital but also learn how to manage money, track milestones, and plan for sustainable growth.
“How you save, how you spend, how you pay your bills, a lot of those habits are learned in some, if you grew up without, or you grew up in an environment that, you know, didn’t necessarily have everything you needed to thrive. That’s ingrained into how you develop later on,” said Williams.
Spark participants also get access to the Spark Alumni Fund, with low-interest loans to grow their business and create jobs in Thomasville.
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