Southeast Startup Ecosystem Gets a Boost: New Partnership Connects Disadvantaged Businesses to Resources

Southeast Startup Ecosystem Gets a Boost: New Partnership Connects Disadvantaged Businesses to Resources

The Southeast Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Growth Hub, a regional initiative focused on building a connected business community, has partnered with EcoMap Technologies to empower disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the region.

EcoMap Technologies, a Baltimore-based software startup founded in 2018, specializes in developing customized, data-driven platforms for entrepreneurial ecosystems. Their platform has already made a significant impact in the Southeast, helping organizations like LaunchTN understand and track the entrepreneurial landscape.

This new partnership aims to bridge the gap between businesses and resources. The goal is to provide socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SEDI) and small businesses with access to funding, potential clients, and programming that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Kirk Barnes, Atlanta-based founder and Program Director for MBDA, highlights the importance of this initiative, stating that it serves as a “vehicle to help women and underrepresented business owners gain access to funding, potential clients and programming that would otherwise be unknown to them.”

This partnership aims to connect businesses across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, providing them with a clear path to growth and success. By leveraging data and resources, this collaboration seeks to create a more inclusive and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Southeast.

[Image of Kirk Barnes](https://hypepotamus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1721683747391-300x300.jpg)