Do Gooders: Goodie Nation Partners with National Program That Will Train and Support Entrepreneurs

Goodie Nation is partnering with UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager, and Village Capital, an organization that finds, trains and invests in entrepreneurs solving real-world problems, to launch the VC Pathways program in Atlanta.

VC Pathways is a national program that will train and support African-American, Latinx and female founders to increase their competitiveness for seed-stage venture investment and early-stage incubator and accelerator programs. Local supporting pipeline partners include the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, ATDC at Georgia Tech, Startup Atlanta, EnrichHer, BuiltxWomen, Atlanta Tech Village, Amplify 4 Good, Village Microfund, Invest Atlanta, Plywood People, and Black Angel Tech Fund.

Goodie Nation will work with UBS and Village Capital to select a cohort of founders to participate in a three-month program that provides entrepreneurs with hands-on training, advice and tailored engagements from local mentors, investors, UBS executives and financial advisors who will help their companies become investment-ready.

“VC Pathways is an invaluable extension of UBS’s ongoing commitment to advancing inclusive entrepreneurship,” says Jamie Sears, UBS head of Community Affairs, Americas. “Many of our clients are entrepreneurs in these cities, so we are excited to be playing a part in strengthening the pipeline of diverse founders and giving startups access to investors, best-in-class training, and other resources that will help their businesses succeed.”

“This is an incredible opportunity to help some of Atlanta’s best startups reach their potential,” says Joey Womack, CEO and founder of Goodie Nation. “Moving forward, we see VC Pathways as an amazing vehicle to assist Goodie Nation strengthen our curriculum and provide more opportunities through pipeline partners as we march toward creating sustainable social impact startups.”

“There is no shortage of potential among underrepresented founders. They have firsthand experience in solving critical issues faced by the majority of the U.S. population,” says Allie Burns, managing director of Village Capital. “What’s lacking is the social capital and tangible resources to scale these solutions. We’re hoping that, through this program, startups will gain exposure to the thought-process behind investment decisions and a framework to use milestones to clearly communicate their growth and success.”