Blogs

Serving her local community came as a natural transition for JeJuan Stewart, CEO and Lead Consultant of EAGLE 7 Consulting in rural Georgia. She also leads the John and JeJuan Stewart, Jr. Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose vision is to create a group of focused, empowered youth who make a positive difference as individuals in their families and communities. 

After a quarter life crisis, former social worker Alanna Ferre took a course in makeup artistry–as suggested by her mother–and was surprised to not only find a thriving second career, but also a passionate community in her home state of New Mexico. 

On June 28, we co-hosted a webinar with the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) to discuss the economic impact of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade on women small business owners. Small Business Majority’s National Women's Entrepreneurship Director Rachel Shanklin presented our new research on access to reproductive healthcare and how women entrepreneurs view it as essential to their financial security.

Growing up in India, Pallavi Pande ate her meals using banana leaves as plates. This sparked her passion for sustainability and being close to nature. Raising her family in Portland, Ore. inspired her to reconnect with her heritage and share this tradition with the western world.

Leslie Allison-Seei is the president of Robust Promotions LLC, an award-winning turnkey service provider offering prize consulting, legal documents and support, microsite infrastructure, graphic design and much more, in Villa Park, Ill. Together with her husband Greg, they’ve worked with restaurant chains and global brands such as Popeyes and Häagen Dazs, among others. 

Non-compete agreements are an obstacle to entrepreneurship, create a non-level playing field and stop employees from using their skills. They are not only a barrier to entry for entrepreneurs, but they also prevent small businesses from hiring the most diverse, qualified and skilled talent. In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a rule to ban non-compete agreements and sought input from the public.

Small Business Majority’s Outreach Team advocates for entrepreneurs on two fronts: It supports policies that benefit small businesses and it offers webinars and in-person events that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. We have found this work to be even more important as small businesses experience rising inflation, supply chain disruptions and workforce challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Neha Mehta has an entrepreneurial spirit that is always leading her to try something new. She, along with her husband, are the co-founders of Seashore Solutions LLC. located in Austin, Texas. After decades of multi-industry experience, they decided to launch Seashore in 2017, a consulting and software firm that provides affordable, sustainable and cutting-edge solutions to a global client base. Products range from mobile application development to e-commerce websites to enterprise-level solutions such as third-party integration.

Savannah-based Charlotte Garnes worked for 11 years as a licensed mental health and substance abuse therapist. When she was only two credits away from receiving her Ph.D. in 2013, her life completely changed. She was sentenced to five years in prison as a result of unethical billing practices performed by employees under her supervision. 

For the last 25 years, Amber Bilby has been in the childcare industry in one way or another. Her passion for children and her entrepreneurial spirit eventually led her to launch Daycare Home Arvada in 2009, a licensed and home-based childcare center in Arvada, Colo. She opened her doors with the vision to give children in her care the best possible opportunities to thrive in their environment.