On December 16th, Newark’s Dutch’s Restaurant was buzzing with entrepreneurial energy as the Do-Good Business! Holiday Event brought together 67 entrepreneurs to celebrate 2024 achievements and prepare for success in 2025. Hosted by the Alexander Skye Group, co-founded by the dynamic husband-and-wife duo Nakeicha and Corey Wilson, the event focused on collaboration, innovation, and providing actionable insights to help entrepreneurs thrive.
Local business owners from Newark’s Makerhood and Downtown Newark mingled with regional leaders like Precious Williams, a renowned pitch master from New York City. The event created a space for entrepreneurs across various industries to exchange ideas and access valuable resources. Notable attendees included Emefa Woananu of Pop-Up Print Shop, Dr. Christina Hector of Onyx Direct Care, Brandon Tyler & Damon Williams of WTH Film and Music Festival, Shaquan Jacobs of ShaqjPhoto, and Tehsuan Glover of Studio Creative Group.
The event featured dynamic talks on essential business topics, including using tools like Grow with Google to enhance operations, implementing accountability practices, and creating effective strategies for 2025. Speakers like Sandra Garcia, who shared practical strategies from Grow with Google, Andrew Frazier, who presented insights on sales and marketing, and Jimmy Newson, who passionately encouraged entrepreneurs to leverage technology, provided invaluable knowledge. Attendees also left the event with resources from the NJEDA, GNEC, and RNSBDC, along with insights into the NJ Thrives VEE program, a Virtual Ecosystem for Entrepreneurs that offers tools, connections, and opportunities to empower their businesses.
The event also revealed key areas of opportunity for growth. Data collected during the event highlighted that 64.5% of attendees lacked a business coach, 46.8% had no access to an attorney, and 85.5% were unaware of the NJ Thrives VEE program. These insights underscore the critical need for mentorship, legal support, and increased awareness of the available resources to support the growth and sustainability of Newark’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
With such collaborative efforts and a focus on addressing these gaps, the Do-Good Business! Holiday Event set the stage for a successful 2025, ensuring that local and regional entrepreneurs are equipped with the resources and connections needed to thrive in the coming year.
