(From Left) 1st Row: Lyasha Bishop-Gaines, Ebony Murray, Amber Slaughter; 2nd Row: Cammeron I. Warren, Dr. Crystal Rose, Eldolia Weir, Brooke Barry, Jazmin Hernandez, Jose Flores
The IEE’s Urban & Community Entrepreneurship Program (UCEP) graduated its 19th cohort of the Community Power to Prosper program on Wednesday, November 29 with a ceremony at the University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center in Homewood.
The program covered key topics integral to managing and growing a business such as financial analysis, human resources, marketing, legalities of small business management, business strategy, and more. The graduates of this year’s program are:
- Brooke Barry, Brooke Barry Childcare LLC
- Lyasha Bishop-Gaines, Bishop Gaines Grant Writing & Consulting LLC
- Jose Flores, Panaderia Jazmin LLC
- Jazmin Hernandez, Panaderia Jazmin LLC
- Rosalyn Holmes, Minnie’s Helping Hands
- Ebony Murray, Cluttered Design LLC
- Dr. Crystal Rose, Nea Onnim LLC
- Amber Slaughter, A SLAY Aesthetics
- Cameron I. Warren, iCamW Productions
- Eldolia Weir, Classic Movers LLC
- Juan Williams, Williams Bridge Beam Construction
At the ceremony, Diana Byas, the Keynote Speaker and owner of Thick but Fit, shared insights as a CP2P Alum, reflecting on the profound benefits she gained from the program. The 11 graduates each delivered a presentation about their businesses detailing the value proposition and offerings their businesses provide for their Pittsburgh-based communities. They also reflected on how they’ve benefited from participation in the Community Power to Prosper program.
Ebony Murray, Owner of Cluttered Design LLC, spoke about how the program has kept her accountable for business development:
Lyasha Bishop-Gaines, Co-Owner of Bishop Gaines Grant writing and Consulting LLC, talked about how her business has grown during the course of the program.
Dr. Crystal Rose, Owner of Nea Onnim LLC, Reflected upon how the program challenged her definition of entrepreneurship.
The Community Power to Prosper program comes at no cost to the program’s participants and is funded through generous sponsorship from PNC Foundation, Meyer, Unkovic & Scott, Fed Ex Ground, First National Bank, Huntington Bank, UPMC, and Wilke & Associates CPAs.
More information about UCEP and the Community Power to Prosper program can be found at entrepreneur.pitt.edu/cp2p.