Mavs and Coca-Cola Southwest Collaborate on Mavs Business Assist Program to Support Minority and Women Entrepreneurs

DALLAS — About 40 executives from Dallas Mavericks and Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages gathered in Dallas on Monday night to meet dozens of local minority and women entrepreneurs who are members of the first Mavs Business Assist (MBA) program. I met with

Launched early in the season, the MBA program will provide 100 North Texas minority entrepreneurs with the backing of an NBA franchise that supports their businesses and dreams.

Various community partners, including Mavs and Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, will meet with MBA members on a quarterly basis, and the program will culminate in a pitch competition in front of a panel of judges later this season.

Although local entrepreneurs have different dreams and pursuits, they share a common goal of making an impact in their communities.

Teddy Graves, founder of Mavs Business Assist, said: “The large number of volunteers who gave up the evening (Monday night) to participate in the program also left a strong impression on entrepreneurs, sending the message that we are all invested in their success.”

The Mavs Business Assistance Program is designed to provide networking resources and impartial support to a range of local entrepreneurs through professional development workshops and other activities.

Minority- and women-owned businesses are often systematically excluded from economic interests and resources, which hinders their ability to start businesses, raise capital, and grow businesses.

Texas continues to rank among the top 10 women-led startups in the nation, but there is still a big gap among women, especially in black and brown communities.

The Mavs Business Assist program is designed to foster relationships and amplify stories with underserved and underresourced populations.

Storytelling initiatives are a key component of the Mavs Business Assist program. Many entrepreneurs have great ideas, but need a way to share their vision and background with a wider audience.

Mavs will continue to “pass the mic,” enabling business owners to share their stories and visions across a variety of digital platforms, including Mavs.com, social media channels and Dallas Mavericks games.

Networking with large companies and enterprises like Coca-Cola Southwest is another key element of Mavs Business Assist.

The MBA program features Dallas Mavericks legend, team ambassador and businessman Roland Blackman at each event.

Graves said Mavs has an all-hands-on-deck support system that will only expand in the next few years.

“The Mavs Business Assist program has been a source of pride not just for myself, but for the entire Mavs Take ACTION team,” he shared.

“When we first started thinking about this program, we asked ourselves, ‘How can we intentionally engage underrepresented entrepreneurs in the DFW area? We knew we had the key ingredients: a globally respected platform, a great city and, most importantly, an extraordinary minority of entrepreneurs across DFW.”

The program is the personal mission of Teddy Graves, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for the Dallas Mavs. His late grandfather is Earl G. Graves Sr., who founded the magazine and media empire. black companies.

Graves Sr. is a leading pioneer, icon and advocate for black-owned businesses and a recognized equal opportunity advocate. He received the National Award of Excellence for his business achievements.

Now his grandson is sowing similar seeds in the sports and business worlds.

“I am certainly very optimistic about what will come out of this first program,” said Graves. One of his personal highlights was when Session No. 3 started and he took some time to himself. God works in mysterious ways. I started this program in honor of my grandfather’s legacy.His birthday is January 9th, the day of our session. Seeing him working and looking happy made me feel like he would be proud of how this program is unfolding. ”

“Thank you for inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.”

More than 20 top Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages executives volunteered for Monday’s Mavs Business Assist event to spend 1:1 time with a diverse range of attendees, answer questions and share their bios Did. Among them were high-ranking directors, vice presidents and general managers.

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, an Arca Continental company, is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. Based in Dallas, it serves its 31 million people in Texas, parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas.

Derek Alexander, Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Operations for Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, was the keynote speaker. He told his MBA members that after reading their bios, they felt like they had extraordinary stories as entrepreneurs.

“Words such as communicator, leader, courage, strength, passion and inspiration describe those embarking on this journey,” Alexander said.

“I want to thank you for what you are doing in the community,” he added. “I would like to thank you for inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs, especially on behalf of the entire Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages family, just a small part of your journey here tonight. We would like to thank you for including us and hope that we will be great friends and our own community moving forward.”

After Alexander’s presentation, MBA attendees toured various tables and visited executives who could provide expert insights on employee engagement. Mavs and Coca-Cola Southwest He provides 11 worktables covering nine different topics, including general strategic leadership, marketing, sales, supply chain, profit growth management, finance, information technology, human resources, and legal. We covered.

“Before the event, we asked entrepreneurs to fill out forms that ranked their preferences among these topics,” says Graves.

“After analyzing the data and making assignments, each entrepreneur was assigned to three different table rotations where they could participate in discussions and learn from different experts in their field,” he added. rice field.

“Overall, the table rotation was a success. Each table had a small group of participants, which helped the sessions feel intimate yet epic in scope. We were able to have engaging conversations.”

Various Dallas Mavericks executives and staff members also participated in table discussions, answering questions and sharing their professional careers. The idea was to develop a more personal business relationship with MBA entrepreneurs and help them feel supported beyond the corporate environment.

One key connection can open the door to the future.

“We hope this shows how excited we are to be here with all the entrepreneurs,” said Alexander. “Again, thank you for allowing us to be a small part of your journey.

The Mavs are planning several more workshops throughout the season before the culmination of the Mavs Business Assist pitch competition.

In honor of the late visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Black History Month, the Dallas Mavericks will amplify the stories and dreams of various entrepreneurs throughout the year with the Mavs Business Assist Program. continue. Click here for program details.

Reporters: Tamara Jolie, Dallas Mavs
Photojournalist: Brandon Colston, Dallas Mavs