Beaver Street Enterprise Center celebrates five years with five great events

By its very nature, an incubator is a nurturing place where fledglings gather the strength and nourishment necessary tosoar. So, when tenants at Beaver Street Enterprise Center, Florida’s only core-city business incubator, outgrow the facility and fly away, it is all part of the plan. That’s what happened during the 5th Anniversary Celebration of Beaver Street Enterprise Center, when four graduating companies outgrew the Center.

“The plan,” which began nearly a decade ago as a twinkle in the eye of the late Michael Bryant, Director of Urban Initiatives for FreshMinistries, came to fruition five years ago when the beautiful, modern 25,000 square foot office complex called Beaver Street Enterprise Center opened its doors on June 3, 2003.

“Michael Bryant envisioned a day when the businesses being built at Beaver Street would make a positive impact on the overall economy of the City of Jacksonville,” said The Rev. Dr. Robert V. Lee III, Founding Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FreshMinistries. “To that end, with the help of Michael’s inexhaustible enthusiasm, passion for people, and deep commitment to improving lives, FreshMinistries formed strong community partnerships that helped make Beaver Street a reality. Those community partnerships continue to support and grow the programs here today.”

Many of those vibrant powerful partnerships with organizations such as the City of Jacksonville, Chamber of Commerce, UNF Small Business Development Center, Florida Community College-Jacksonville, Edward Waters College, BB&T Bank, Bank of America, Comcast, WorkSource, and more were reflected in the hundreds of guests who attended the exciting 5th Anniversary Events at Beaver Street Enterprise Center during the week of June 2 through June 6, 2008.

Billed as “From Tiny Acorns to Mighty Oaks,” the anniversary celebration commenced with an Open House and Tour from 12 noon to 2 p.m. on Monday, June 2nd, where guests had the opportunity to meet and question incubator tenants as well as visit their suites and see the incubator in action. An interested and interesting group of prospective tenants met first in the Michael Bryant Conference Room where Program Coordinator Angelia Redding played an introductory video and a short talk was presented by new tenant John Metzger, President of Universal Understanding, LLC, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business, HUBZone Certified Company, and Cisco Advanced Unified Communication Specialty-Family owned business.

And that was just the beginning for hair stylist Cynthia Newberry, who is exploring the possibility of opening a hair salon at Beaver Street; Dr. Michelle L. Thomas, LCSW, a family counselor considering new digs; and Event and Floral Stylist Tricia Jankowski, Founder of Mis Sassy (your “Go To Girl” for flowers and functions)! The diverse group of guests was then treated to a comprehensive tour of the facilities followed by an informal networking luncheon where tenants dropped by to share insights.

“It was my first time at Beaver Street and I think it’s a great facility with wonderful opportunities for networking,” said Jankowski, who returned to Beaver Street later in the week on Wednesday for the State Department Buyers Roundtable organized by Deborah K. Thompson Consultants and hosted by Senators Tony Hill and Gary Siplin. “What an impact to be able to meet two senators and all of the department heads in one room!” declared Jankowski. “I made contacts at Beaver Street that I couldn’t have made anywhere else. I’ll come back for seminars and workshops from now on.”

In fact, had Jankowski made it back to the Center on Tuesday, June 3rd, for the 5th Anniversary Awards Luncheon, she would have had the opportunity to meet another State Senator, Jim King, and his wife, Linda. In recognition of his ongoing support of Beaver Street Enterprise Center’s many programs, Senator King received the Center’s first-ever Outstanding Advocate Award. Keynote Speaker, Susie Wiles, Chief of Special Initiatives and Communications for the office of the Mayor, City of Jacksonville, congratulated the staff and tenants of Beaver Street on behalf of the Mayor and talked earnestly of the importance of all present to join with the Mayor’s Office in a comprehensive community wide anti-crime initiative called The Jacksonville Journey. Wiles compared the goals of Beaver Street Enterprise Center with those of The Jacksonville Journey – “working to create a roadmap for achieving peace and prosperity in every home, on every street, for every citizen.”

And, in conjunction with charting that roadmap, Senators Hill and Siplin gave their input and support to the State Department Buyer’s Roundtable event organized by Beaver Street Board Member Deborah L. Thompson, focusing on uniting Florida’s Minority, Women and/or Disadvantaged (MBE/DBE) business enterprises with purchasers from the State of Florida’s Department and Agency Buyers. “It was a rare and incredibly valuable opportunity for small business owners to learn about selling goods, products and services to the state,” said Beaver Street’s Executive Director Jackie Perry. “And, for the second day in a row, we had standing room only at Beaver Street! This is the kind of happy problem that Michael Bryant envisioned five years ago!”

The Buyers Roundtable on Wednesday was followed by a luncheon with keynote speaker and long-time Beaver Street Champion Roy Campbell, CEO of R.L. Campbell Management Services, Inc., sharing the strategies he has used to maximize his 8a designation and grow a multi-million dollar company in the midst of turbulent economic times.

Finally, on Friday, June 6, 2008, a variety of the banks that provide financing for many of the tenants at Beaver Street Enterprise Center, including Center Bank, Wachovia, Bank of America and American Enterprise Bank, met for a very well-attended lunchtime panel discussion on Establishing Effective Banking Relationships.

“Oh what a week!” declared Perry, a visionary in her own right who recently received wide-range community recognition as a finalist for the coveted EVE Award. “We are so proud of our tenants and what they have accomplished and it is due to the community partnerships that we have been able to achieve such wonderful community recognition. This week has been just the inspiration we needed to leap vigorously into our next five successful years and head toward a fabulous Decade of Excellence Celebration in 2013!”

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