Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Delgado Community College Graduates Over 85

June 04, 2019

Today, over 85 entrepreneurs representing three cohorts of participants graduated from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at Delgado Community College, bringing the total number of graduates to over 672 from the Greater New Orleans region.

The year 2019 marks the eight-year anniversary of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses partnership with Delgado Community College, dedicated to helping small businesses create jobs and economic opportunity. The graduates join more than 8,400 business owners who have benefited from the program nationally.  

The graduation ceremony took place today at 1 p.m. at the Delgado Community College City Park Campus, 615 City Park Avenue, in Isaac Delgado Hall's Timothy K. Baker Theatre.

Delgado Interim Chancellor William S. Wainwright, Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development Arlanda J. Williams and program Executive Director David B. Payton addressed the graduates.     

Over the past year, business owners who took part in the program represented many industries including construction, manufacturing, food service, retail and transportation. Together, these businesses employ more than 1,600 people and represent over $111 million in revenues. Participants received practical business and management education, business support services and access to capital to help their businesses grow.

The 10,000 Small Businesses program reports that graduates consistently grow their revenues and create jobs at rates that outperform the broader economy. Nearly 70 percent of participants report increasing their revenues and 48 percent report creating net new jobs just six months after graduating. In addition, the program maintains a 99 percent graduation rate and 85 percent of graduates are doing some form of business with each other.

“Each graduate of the Delgado Community College program deserves recognition for a substantial time commitment dedicated to completing a rigorous training program that has repeatedly proven to help grow businesses,” said Payton. “We are proud to honor more than 85 business owners whose lives and companies have been transformed because of their investment in themselves, in their businesses and in the local economy.”

With a network of more than 100 local and national partners, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses has served over 8,400 small business owners across the U.S.A. including all 50 states; Washington, D.C; Puerto Rico; Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A $500 million investment by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation supports the project in partnership with Babson College, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Delgado Community College.  Local partners in New Orleans include the City of New Orleans, Greater New Orleans Inc., Hope Enterprise Corporation, Louisiana Small Business Development Center and several local and regional area chambers of commerce.   

Prospective applicants to the program typically should be in operation for at least two years, have a minimum of $150,000 in revenues, a minimum of four full-time employees and a desire to grow their businesses.

Visit this website for more information about applying to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at Delgado Community College.