“There will come a day in your life when you will have to act for others, for your family, for your community, and when that happens, you have to be ready.”
Vivian Malone Jones
In the same spirit of preparation, Vivian’s Door provides business training to the community and maintains an open-door policy for students who are small business owners and entrepreneurs, which not only helps students grow their businesses but also contributes to the community at large.
Vivian’s Door is an economic development organization based in Mobile, Alabama, that helps local minority-owned businesses grow and thrive. It embodies the passion of the late civil rights activist for whom the nonprofit is named, Vivian Malone Jones. In 1963, Jones, escorted by state troopers, walked past a rebellious Alabama governor and straight through the front doors of the University of Alabama’s College of Commerce, setting a course for future generations.
“We really value building relationships with students and never treat it like a transaction,” says Director of Marketing JaVaughnae Malone. “We encourage students to continue the dialogue with us even after they complete their course so we can continue to help them grow their business.”
In 2023, Vivian’s Door decided to create a comprehensive training curriculum that would give students all the tools they needed to achieve their goals and grow a strong business. That year, they officially launched. Lift: Let’s rise togetherIt’s a program that senior leaders call the embodiment of all training.
This program: Prize money: $730,000 Economic Development Department Economic adjustment support In this program, participants will work with a Vivian’s Door mentor to develop their own business plan. They will also participate in a seven-month Streetwise MBA course, receiving the management, financial and networking training they need to grow and scale their business. The course is designed to empower entrepreneurs to grow their businesses today while looking to the future, further driving economic development and job creation in their local communities.
The Lift program has been a success: over 30 students have already graduated from the Streetwise MBA program, with another 40 enrolled for the spring semester. Another 20 students have completed the business plan training, and the same number are enrolled for the next session. Recruitment has not been an issue.
“They find a way to get to our door,” said Janice Malone, executive director and the subject of a recent interview. The New York Times profile“We’re here for students who follow through and want what we can offer. We never give them the opportunity to say they can’t do it.”
EDA funding also made possible the purchase of a mobile unit, allowing Vivian’s Door to visit and train other local businesses, including farmers and rural entrepreneurs, on the go. Staff recently visited an area high school, where more than 130 students received hands-on business development training. They also conduct similar training sessions at off-site business locations, conferences, festivals and sporting events.
The award also supported the organization of an Open House in April 2024, where several graduates from the program shared their experiences and expertise with local legislators, business leaders, bankers, accountants and small business owners.
Business owners like Sophia Kloss Fade FactoryHe studied at Vivian’s Door, a barber school in the Mobile area. Prior to studying at Vivian’s Door, the company’s annual revenue was less than $300,000. Within a year of completing the StreetWise MBA program, Cross increased revenue by 46 percent, doubled his staff, expanded to multiple locations, and won three large regional contracts.
“Now I know how to get contracts, how to bid, how to contact people,” Cross said. “Going into a fight with a wealth of information and connections I’ve gained through the program is better than going into a fight alone.”
In this program, Dexter’s Fitness CenterPersonal trainer Dexter Sutton’s gym has been able to stay open after the financial hardships and widespread closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s also been a huge boon for Charleena Carswell, who has been able to open a second location. Early Learning AcademyChild Development and Child Care Center.
“Business owners who take the time learn a lot of new skills and are able to share information about the health of their business,” Carswell said of the Lift program. “It helps businesses grow and keep them from stagnating.”
EDA is proud to have played a part in their success, further demonstrating our commitment to the economic development of historically underserved communities.
For more EDA success stories, click here. eda.gov.
