TD Jakes Enterprises, a social impact enterprise led by Chairman TD Jakes and the brainchild of the Good Soil Movement, is looking to make Dallas a hub of ideas, events and business-related social hotspots ahead of Juneteenth and Black Music Month, and will host its annual Good Soil Forum June 13-15, 2024 at Dallas’ AT&T Performing Arts Center. The longtime entrepreneur and faith leader will use the Good Soil Forum as an opportunity to highlight the vibrant entrepreneurial, business and cultural scene in the country, and in Dallas specifically, which ultimately brings thousands of people and millions of dollars to the region. Dallas consistently ranks highly in annual economic surveys across the U.S., and the North Texas region is cited as a good place for small business growth, small business employment and hourly wage growth. Media credentials are currently open and can be applied for online.
“The Dallas Small Business Center is pleased to support this event within the small business ecosystem. We see this as another effort to serve Dallas entrepreneurs and small businesses by providing an educational platform to build capacity for growth and success,” said Joyce Williams, Director of the Small Business Center.
“Our mission in the Good Soil movement is to grow generational wealth and empowerment by developing entrepreneurs who often lack resources,” said Michael Phillips, chief operating officer of TD Jake’s Enterprises. “The Good Soil Forum breaks the cycle of under-resourced entrepreneurs leaving the event inspired but ill-equipped. Entrepreneurs who thrive despite limited resources inspire us all, and this June we will celebrate past and present leaders who have paved the way for future generations. This is the first step in a multi-year plan to cultivate a vibrant cultural hub for music, entrepreneurship and innovation in Texas – a space where inspiration meets practical tools to foster business growth and lasting success.”
This year’s theme is “The Rhythm of Entrepreneurship,” and the event will feature inspiring keynote sessions that will enable entrepreneurs to hear insights from visionary leaders and industry pioneers to navigate the entrepreneurial world with confidence and creativity. This year’s featured attendees, fireside chat and breakout session panelists include:
- TD Jakes, NAACP Image Award-winning philanthropist and CEO of TD Jakes Enterprises
- Tabitha Brown, Emmy Award-winning actress, New York Times bestselling author, and entrepreneur
- Pinky Cole, Founder and Owner of Slutty Vegan
- Ariane Simone, Co-Founder and CEO of Fearless Fund
- Richelieu Dennis, founder and CEO of Sundial Brands
- Charles King, Founder and CEO of MACRO
In an effort to create a convergence of minds and missions, the Good Soil Forum will also host educational fireside chats, breakout sessions and practical workshops. Business leaders will be able to participate and learn from important conversations on topics ranging from business planning and marketing strategies to financial management and leadership development, and gain practical skills and knowledge to improve their businesses. The Good Soil Forum will also host a vibrant marketplace featuring a variety of vendors, from tech startups to artisans, a unique opportunity to network, discover new products and services and gain entrepreneurial inspiration for attendees.
“The Stand Together Foundation is proud to partner with TD Jakes Enterprises to help more people achieve the American Dream through entrepreneurship,” said Evan Feinberg, Stand Together Senior Vice President and Stand Together Foundation Chairman. “If successful, this initiative will not only empower more people to reach their full potential, but it will also demonstrate what is possible in this country when people shift their mindset from what they lack to what they can achieve.”
TD Jakes Enterprises and the Stand Together community are also partnering on an ambitious national effort to inspire new and growing entrepreneurs in under-resourced communities. The effort will be centered around a peer-to-peer platform for entrepreneurs, connecting entrepreneurs on the platform with the coaching, technical support, services and networks they need to grow their companies.
$500,000 Capital Pitch Competition
In partnership with Wells Fargo, Good Soil is returning to its annual Seed Capital Competition as an opportunity to get entrepreneurs through the critical stages of business planning and presentation. To better empower minority entrepreneurs by improving their skills in creating investable business plans and presentations, the competition will award $500,000 in total grants, up from $250,000 last year and making it the third-largest seed competition in the United States.
To participate, entrepreneurs must fill out an intent-to-participate form in the Good Soil HQ app (free membership) by May 1, 2024 and join Good Soil’s Grow community. The final submission deadline is May 23, after which a panel of judges will select finalists who will present live on June 14. The competition will culminate with the awarding of seed grants to top participants. The winners will receive $200,000 and mentorship from leading business leaders. Other prizes include $100,000 for second place, $75,000 for third place, a $75,000 host prize for the best entry from Dallas, and a $50,000 prize for the most advanced participant. Judges will evaluate submissions based on the soundness of their plan, their results to date, their explanation of how they will use the prize money to grow their business, and the quality of their presentations.
Good soil movement
Good Soil aims to empower 1 million entrepreneurs to generate $1 million in revenue over the next 10 years by providing networks and solutions for business growth and expansion. The first Good Soil event in Orlando last year attracted over 2,500 entrepreneurs, during which time approximately 5,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs organically joined the Good Soil network. Today, the Good Soil app has over 20,000 members and continues to grow by giving entrepreneurs something tangible to help them grow. Wells Fargo, Stand Together Foundation, and Travel and Leisure are all official partners of this year’s event.
For more information about the 2024 Good Soil Forum, speakers, and registration, please visit: https://www.prekindle.com/event/23773-good-soil-2024-dallas
About good soil
Good Soil is a project of TD Jakes Enterprises, LLC with a mission to connect entrepreneurs to opportunities to grow and sustain generational wealth and economic health in their communities. The Good Soil Movement is dedicated to helping 1 million entrepreneurs generate $1 million in revenue in the next 10 years, where every conversation plants a seed of growth and every moment is an opportunity to blossom into the next phase of your small business. To learn more about our mission to grow generational wealth and jobs by supporting and nurturing under-resourced entrepreneurs, visit https://www.goodsoilforum.com/ and https://www.goodsoilmovement.com/.
About Stand Together:
Stand Together is a charitable organization addressing the root causes of our nation’s biggest problems. Together with inspiring partners, we advance solutions to many pressing issues, including education, economic opportunity, health care and bridging the partisan divide. United on common ground, we can make more difference than any of us acting alone. Learn more at www.standtogether.org. Join us on Facebook. twitterLinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
