Uplift: She challenges the narrative that Black communities lack skilled labor or entrepreneurial drive.

Strawberry Letter

iHeartPodcasts

Relationships, Society & Culture

4.5 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Tiffany Bussey.

Director of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC). Here are some key highlights and themes from the conversation:

🔑 Key Themes & Takeaways 1. Empowering Black and Brown Entrepreneurs

MIEC focuses on helping scalable, mid-sized Black and Brown businesses grow.
Over 400 businesses have been supported, resulting in:
- 850+ new jobs
- $34M+ in new capital
- $82M+ in new revenue

2. The “Three C’s” of the Small Business Executive Program

Capital: Access to funding.
Connections: Building meaningful relationships with decision-makers.
Contracts: Securing business opportunities with large firms.

3. Breaking Stereotypes

Dr. Bussey emphasizes the need to challenge the narrative that Black communities lack skilled labor or entrepreneurial drive.
Entrepreneurship is described as being “in our DNA,” rooted in resilience and survival.

4. Strategic Partnerships

MIEC collaborates with major corporations (e.g., JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo) to fund training programs.
Partnerships with organizations like Goodwill provide free job training and even stipends for participants.

5. Sustainability as a Business Opportunity

Dr. Bussey highlights the massive potential in sustainability sectors:
- EV Infrastructure: $163B industry
- Green Building: $324B
- Agriculture: $20B
- Renewable Energy: $952B
Encourages entrepreneurs to think beyond traditional business models and tap into these emerging markets.

6. Access to Opportunity

Beyond capital, access to opportunity is a major barrier.
MIEC connects small businesses with large “primes” (e.g., general contractors) to help them enter supply chains.

7. Mindset Shift

Dr. Bussey discusses the psychological and historical barriers that prevent some from pursuing entrepreneurship.
Emphasizes the importance of resilience, preparedness, and community support.

#SHMS #STRAW #BEST

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

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1:06.6	Please welcome the Money Making Conversation Masterclass, Dr. Tiffany Bussie. How are you doing Dr. Bussie? I am doing wonderful, Rashon. And first of all, thank you so much for having me. It is indeed a pleasure to be here. And congratulations on your show. Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate that. Now, I gave out a big title here, Director of the Morehouse, which is Morehouse College, HBCU, one of the big more prominent HBCUs in the country,
1:28.3	Director, Director, big title here, director of the Morehouse, which is Morehouse College, HBCU, one of the biggest more prominent HBCUs in the country, director of the Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship
1:34.3	Center. What is that? Wow, yes, it is a mouthful, but we are really, really proud of the work
1:41.0	we've been doing here at, we call it our loving name for it, is the MIEC, which is really, really proud of the work we've been doing here. We call it our loving name for it is the MIEC,
1:46.4	which is really, really just focused on helping businesses, black and brown businesses scale.
1:53.0	We believe that entrepreneurship and small businesses, but one of the pathways in closing
1:58.3	the racial income inequality gap in this country. So that's the work we've
2:03.3	been busy doing for the past 20 years, whether it is working with our students right here on
	...

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