Welcome to The State of Black Tech, where we talk about The Real Issues black entrepreneurs face when trying to scale their company. On this episode, BayOne advisor Henry Childs II speaks to Donna Ennis, the Director for Diversity Engagement and Program Development at Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute about what it takes to build a Black Tech pipeline from the ground up.
Donna M. Ennis, C.P.F provides leadership across all EI2 units to develop collaborative funding opportunities and provide support and services to assure the integration of diversity and inclusion into EI2’s programs and operations. A certified professional facilitator, Ennis serves as director and operator representative for the Atlanta Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business & Advanced Manufacturing Centers and the SE MBDA Business Growth Hub. In this role, she provides strategic direction, marketing, outreach, and operations for the Centers and the Business Growth Hub and business assistance to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). Under Ennis’ leadership, the Centers have assisted companies in generating over $6.4 billion in contracts, financing, and sales and creating or retaining more than 6,000 jobs. Known for her thought leadership and passion for developing MBEs and small businesses, Ennis has been at the forefront of helping MBEs learn and understand the role technology plays in scaling businesses and has launched her Technology Enabled, Technology Owned platform. She established the NEXTTECH initiative for MBEs to bring technology solutions to federal agencies and corporations, and she launched the Healthcare Expert Alliance Round Table (HEART) for MBEs from all industries to connect with leaders in healthcare for opportunities, knowledge about trends, and relationship building. Ennis played a key role in MBDA’s five-city InVision Tour initiative for technology transfer, serving as a speaker and partner in the development of the program. She has mentored hundreds of business owners and frequently presents to audiences on minority business issues, business challenges, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ennis received her Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University and a B.S. in communications from Boston University. She is a graduate of the Leading Women@Tech program, is one of Georgia Tech’s Faces of Inclusive Excellence, an awardee of the Georgia Tech Women Out Front program, has been named a tenured Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League and has been listed in the 2019 edition of Who’s Who in Black America. Ennis is on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA) and the Atlanta Business League, and the Board of Advisors of Enhanced Capital and the Georgia Hispanic Contractors Association. She is a mentor for Emory University’s Start: ME business accelerator and Georgia Tech’s MentorTech program.
BayOne is a minority-owned Talent Solutions Partner based in the Bay Area, and we have a passion for diversity in the Tech Industry. We help companies build teams. We specialize in the following domains: Project & Program Management, Cloud Computing & I.T. Infrastructure Management, Big Data Services, Software & Quality Engineering, User Experience Design. We help companies solve their talent gap by providing qualified experts on-demand, training their legacy workforce on future technologies, and automating their business processes.
Henry Childs II is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of BCF Capital, America’s most comprehensive financing and intellectual capital organization exclusively serving NMSDC-certified businesses. Since its inception, BCF has provided $225 million in financing to minority firms. He is also founder and CEO of the Minority Wealth Commission, which is the largest national organization intentionally dedicated to reducing the racial wealth gap impacting the U.S., and he is on BayOne Solutions’ advisory board. Henry’s goal is to facilitate the growth and competitiveness of the nearly 11 million minority-owned businesses in the United States. Henry Childs believes in the power of innovative finance solutions and multi-stakeholder engagement to help break down some of the most persistent barriers faced by minority communities and businesses. He believes that unleashing the power of the minority economy will invigorate the U.S. economy setting it on a trajectory to lead in the new digital economy. He believes that ethical technology should amplify the potential of all individuals and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable economic and social system for all people and places.
Donna M. Ennis, C.P.F provides leadership across all EI2 units to develop collaborative funding opportunities and provide support and services to assure the integration of diversity and inclusion into EI2’s programs and operations. A certified professional facilitator, Ennis serves as director and operator representative for the Atlanta Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business & Advanced Manufacturing Centers and the SE MBDA Business Growth Hub. In this role, she provides strategic direction, marketing, outreach, and operations for the Centers and the Business Growth Hub and business assistance to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). Under Ennis’ leadership, the Centers have assisted companies in generating over $6.4 billion in contracts, financing, and sales and creating or retaining more than 6,000 jobs. Known for her thought leadership and passion for developing MBEs and small businesses, Ennis has been at the forefront of helping MBEs learn and understand the role technology plays in scaling businesses and has launched her Technology Enabled, Technology Owned platform. She established the NEXTTECH initiative for MBEs to bring technology solutions to federal agencies and corporations, and she launched the Healthcare Expert Alliance Round Table (HEART) for MBEs from all industries to connect with leaders in healthcare for opportunities, knowledge about trends, and relationship building. Ennis played a key role in MBDA’s five-city InVision Tour initiative for technology transfer, serving as a speaker and partner in the development of the program. She has mentored hundreds of business owners and frequently presents to audiences on minority business issues, business challenges, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ennis received her Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University and a B.S. in communications from Boston University. She is a graduate of the Leading Women@Tech program, is one of Georgia Tech’s Faces of Inclusive Excellence, an awardee of the Georgia Tech Women Out Front program, has been named a tenured Atlanta’s Top 100 Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League and has been listed in the 2019 edition of Who’s Who in Black America. Ennis is on the Board of Directors of the Healthcare Supplier Diversity Alliance (HSDA) and the Atlanta Business League, and the Board of Advisors of Enhanced Capital and the Georgia Hispanic Contractors Association. She is a mentor for Emory University’s Start: ME business accelerator and Georgia Tech’s MentorTech program.
BayOne is a minority-owned Talent Solutions Partner based in the Bay Area, and we have a passion for diversity in the Tech Industry. We help companies build teams. We specialize in the following domains: Project & Program Management, Cloud Computing & I.T. Infrastructure Management, Big Data Services, Software & Quality Engineering, User Experience Design. We help companies solve their talent gap by providing qualified experts on-demand, training their legacy workforce on future technologies, and automating their business processes.
Henry Childs II is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of BCF Capital, America’s most comprehensive financing and intellectual capital organization exclusively serving NMSDC-certified businesses. Since its inception, BCF has provided $225 million in financing to minority firms. He is also founder and CEO of the Minority Wealth Commission, which is the largest national organization intentionally dedicated to reducing the racial wealth gap impacting the U.S., and he is on BayOne Solutions’ advisory board. Henry’s goal is to facilitate the growth and competitiveness of the nearly 11 million minority-owned businesses in the United States. Henry Childs believes in the power of innovative finance solutions and multi-stakeholder engagement to help break down some of the most persistent barriers faced by minority communities and businesses. He believes that unleashing the power of the minority economy will invigorate the U.S. economy setting it on a trajectory to lead in the new digital economy. He believes that ethical technology should amplify the potential of all individuals and contribute to a more equitable and sustainable economic and social system for all people and places.
