First Bank’s Post

🎉 Celebrating National Small Business Week! 🎉 This week is all about supporting and recognising the vital contributions of small businesses to our community and economy. For home-educated students, this presents a unique learning opportunity! 🏫 Educational Opportunities for Home-Educated Students: Home-educated students can greatly benefit from engaging with local small businesses. It's a fantastic way to learn real-world skills, understand the basics of entrepreneurship, and see economics in action. Consider arranging visits to diverse businesses, from bakeries to tech start-ups, to give students a hands-on learning experience that textbooks just can't match. 🤝 How Small Businesses Can Collaborate with Home-Educated Families: Small businesses can also grow by partnering with home-educated students and their families. Offering internships, project collaborations, or even special workshops can not only provide valuable educational experiences but also build a loyal customer base among local families. 📈 Benefits for Both Sides: Students gain practical knowledge and understand day-to-day business challenges. Businesses tap into a community of engaged, local consumers and potential future employees. Let's use National Small Business Week as a stepping stone to foster partnerships that benefit our entrepreneurs and educate the next generation of innovators! 🌟 #NationalSmallBusinessWeek #HomeEducation #CommunityEngagement #LearningOpportunity #SupportLocal

Last weekend, I got the chance to celebrate both a program I created and the 5th year anniversary of the Moguls in the Making pitch competition with Ally and TMCF! During my internship in the Corporate Citizenship department at Ally last summer, I was able to develop the first ever alumni programming component to compliment the pitch competition. The internship was one of the many prizes from our team’s 2nd place win in the 2021 competition! In the program, called MogulMADE, the moguls gain a professional ally, inter-communal networking, professional development programming, and more that fosters their entrepreneurial spirit. For the moguls that have a good sense of that spirit already, I included a mock startup accelerator intended for HBCU students in my pitch! HBCU students with businesses have the option to come through the competition and receive the same support they would in an actual accelerator, WITHOUT giving up a stake of their company - as Black and Brown people are usually denied access to entrepreneurial incubators. I’m really excited to see the program grow as the competition does, and to share the press interviews here to better explain mogulMADE! Although, nothing would be possible without the support I have from my forever boss Natalie Brown, my unshakable mentor KO Krystal E. Owens, and the moguls themselves! Remember - moguls aren’t born; they’re MADE. #ally #allyfinancial #socialimpact #socialentrepreneurship #socialinnovation #revolt #mogul #tmcf

#proudmoment #momlifebalance Seeing your career grow is extremely rewarding, seeing your children grow up to be respectful young adults is incredibly fulfilling. Good parenting really is about sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears, but seeing them become the persons you hoped makes it all worth it. ♥️♥️♥️ My favorite qualities about him are.. he is grounded, his humor, kindness, fun loving spirit and his focus/determination. ♥️♥️♥️ Jahrai is a high-achieving rising Sophomore at Boston University. He is a highly motivated Business and Finance Major with strong communication skills and a desire to learn. He is proficient in Microsoft Excel and financial modeling and analysis. He has accepted an outstanding opportunity to acquire hands-on experience with fundamental analysis and the investment research process with Fidelity's investment research internships 2024. He will also be working through a Thurgood Marshall College Fund Communication Strategy Externship. This is PwC’s 10-12 week paid Nonprofit Consulting Externship. Through this program he will learn more about the process of analyzing and evaluating challenges within nonprofit and social justice organizations using consulting frameworks. Throughout this externship program, professionals from PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) provide him mentorship and coaching. He also worked with Hidden Genius as a coding Instructor at Martin Luther King Elementary School in Richmond, CA, with underrepresented children, this summer. His most recent professional development and work experience, outside of school, includes interning as a Business Development Consultant with Sellside. He has also completed various professional programs and internships including Fidelity Investments Diverse Insights Program, Goldman Sachs Virtual Insights Series, Liberty Mutuals 2023 Unite Summit, and Epsilon’s Annual EpsiLeaders Program. Besides being a Business and Finance Major at Boston University he is also a Questrom Business School Ascend Fellow and a Scholar with a four-year Leadership Tuition Scholarship. He will also be serving as a Questrom Business School Ascend Mentor in his Sophomore year. He has also recently been selected to be part of the 4th Annual Cohort of the Hidden Genius Alumni Venture Seed Group. The highly selective program includes completing entire”postgraduate” entrepreneurship curriculum, completion of key business development benchmarks, business plan, incorporation, market research completion, and pitch development. He recently enjoyed attending a successful pitch session that was held for the program participants, where he had a chance to pitch to British angels and VC’s. Jahrai is from the Bay Area. He enjoys everything basketball, listening to music, humor, exploring new cities, working out, international politics/history, and spending time with friends and family. He has also enjoyed drumming since the age of 5. He was a drummer with the Caravan Jazz Band for 4 years, in high school.

📚 "Back to school, back to brilliance! HBCU Business School Deans are here to champion your journey with mentorship, scholarships, and collaborative experiences. This school year, let's empower each other, chase dreams, and embrace every learning opportunity. 🎓🌟 #BackToBrilliance #Empowerment #LearningJourney #HBCUBusinessDeans" Tips: Business School Students: Structure your time for classes, internships, and networking events to create a holistic education. 🕒🌟 Educators: Weave mentorship into your teachings, nurturing students' potential to thrive in the business world. 📚🌱 Entrepreneurs: Maximize each moment, collaborate with diverse minds, and use challenges as steps toward growth. ⏰🚀 Daily Mantra: "I am ready to embrace knowledge, powered by mentorship, synergy, and unwavering determination." 🌠 Call to Action: Dive into our world of empowerment. Discover how you can contribute and be part of something extraordinary. Visit www.HBCUBusinessDeans.org. 🌐

Hear it from me, a former collegiate athlete, and an aspiring entrepreneur, why you should never... NEVER take the easy path because nothing ever comes easy. Take advantage of the opportunities that terrify you while you still have time. As a scholarship athlete playing collegiate soccer, I worked hard for a Leadership position. And in my second year playing, I made it to the Leadership Council Team. Something was missing... I felt that I had hit the ceiling in my athletic career. So, I quit. I left the scholarship behind not knowing how to make up for the lost money, but I jumped into ALL things business. Today as I look back, finishing my last semester of college, I remember how HARD that decision was for me. But let me tell you what I've accomplished since... ·      I was 1 of 4 students who helped launch the Co-Op Program as a pilot student, giving students a chance to work, receive class credit, and get PAID. ·      I led the project initiative for CAP (Community Alliance Program), which connects Trinity Students to low-income & minority owned business owners for a Micro-Internship funded by Donors. ·      A pilot student for the Fellows Program, opening up the doors to accessible Mentorships helping Trinity Students network and find opportunities. ·      CEO of the Vermeer Studios Initiative, leading 10 students to build a business incubator right here on Campus, revolutionizing how higher education exists to impact the surrounding community leveraging the resources they already have. ·      Founder & CEO of Hiver, a social media app that simplifies the way people interact and exists to bring people together OFF the screens. And we are just getting started, MORE TO COME! So, for those who currently face HARD decisions, let me be the first to tell you… there’s something really cool behind the difficult door. #TCC #Impact #Hiver #Entrepreneurship #Opportunity

-------------------------------------- When I was a kid, I got all kinds of good things. I had the advantage of a home where people talked about interesting things, and I had intelligent parents and I went to decent schools. I don’t think I could have been raised with a better pair of parents. That was enormously important. I didn’t get money from my parents, and I really didn’t want it. But I was born at the right time and place. I won the Ovarian lottery. ~ Warren Buffett -------------------------------------- While we celebrate the success and wisdom of Buffet, we must spare a thought for those that haven't won the lottery, not even close. In a world where parents #fetishize #success of their children, the seed of a mindset is sown that life is a zero sum game and children must continue playing the same game that their parents played, this time ostensibly, with better odds. Parents believe that the scaffolding provided by their money and experience is enough to propel their child to greater heights. This is a bias because it attributes to DNA what was massively luck, to begin with. Who loses? Children that are dealt a weak hand by the financial situation of their parents, end up pushing the boulder up the hill, most of their lives, fighting for a chance to inflect from the course set by fate. It is for these kids, equipped with nothing more than a dream, that we at #OneMerit are offering #education and #skilldevelopment financing, by partnering with like minded training institutes. We are issuing a standing appeal to HR and business managers everywhere to support us by offering internships or any other form of employment to deserving students trained by our partner institutes. Drop a line to [email protected] to know more

Our next graduating senior is Justin Wang, National Director of Strategic Initiatives and Junior Economic Club of Atlanta President! He is an incoming freshman at Stanford University, looking to major in Economics and pursue a secondary major in Mathematical and Computational Science. Find some of Justin's takeaways from his time with JEC below. "JEC has done so much for my academic, personal, and professional growth that I cannot stress enough the benefits that come with joining. It's an incredibly tight-knit community that continues to connect you with invaluable mentors and opportunities even after you graduate from high school." Justin plans to work in the financial services industry in the future, and he was connected to his second paid internship through JEC. Are you an ambitious high school student interested in the worlds of economics, business, finance, or entrepreneurship? Applications for the Junior Economic Club are open! Find your nearest chapter at junioreconomicclub.org, and follow the instructions on how to apply. We hope to see you at our next event! #junioreconomicclub #jec #jecnational #economics #business #finance #entrepreneurship #technology #marketing

In today's interconnected world, the synergy between academia and business is more crucial than ever. By leveraging shared resources, we can create a mutually beneficial ecosystem that nurtures innovation and fosters growth. Here are three key ways to tap into this potential: -Combining Expertise for Mutual Growth: Harness the academic rigor of HBCU Business Schools and the practical insights of the business world. This collaboration can lead to innovative research, curriculum development, and practical solutions to real-world problems. -Embarking on Joint Ventures: Imagine a world where academic institutions and businesses embark on projects together. These ventures could range from entrepreneurial incubators to community development projects, each contributing to a richer, more diverse learning and business environment. -Sharing Resources for a Richer Experience: This could take the form of businesses offering internships and co-op programs, providing students with hands-on experience, while businesses gain fresh perspectives and ideas. Similarly, workshops and training programs led by business leaders can offer invaluable insights to students and faculty alike. We invite you to join this journey of collaboration and growth. Partner with HBCU Business Schools and be a part of a movement that’s shaping the future of business and education. Together, we can build stronger, more resilient communities. #HBCUPartnership #AcademicCollaboration #BusinessGrowth #InnovativeEducation

[INCREASING DIVERSITY IN THE FINANCIAL ADVICE INDUSTRY] Lincoln Financial Network's "LincABLE" (Lincoln Accelerating Business Leadership Experiences) program recently earned the Equity Award from the National Urban League. LincABLE was also recently named as a finalist for WealthManagment.com’s 2023 Industry Awards in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) category, which honors outstanding achievements by companies, organizations and individuals that support financial advisor success. The company’s program was highlighted for providing mentorship, financial education and career development opportunities for Black and African American high school students in Philadelphia. With only 2.9% of financial advisors in the industry today identifying as Black or African American, LincABLE also aims to increase representation in the financial services industry, a core tenant of Lincoln Financial Group’s overarching diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. In the first year of the LincABLE program, college-bound seniors enter a paid job shadowing program and complete a curriculum covering capital markets, resume building and professional development. In year two, students are offered a paid college internship with Lincoln Financial Network. In year three, students are welcomed to return to another more expansive paid internship with higher exposure to leadership and networking. Today, LincABLE has approximately 30 students participating in various phases of the program, including high schoolers and returning alumni who are now college students. “As a Black woman in financial services, my interest in the industry began as an economics major at the encouragement of a former Lincoln employee who I looked up to, who also was a Black woman,” said Jennifer Burks, assistant vice president, Investment Products & Platforms at Lincoln, and a manager of the LincABLE program. “LincABLE is designed to deliver that same type of impact, providing transferable knowledge on personal and professional finance, enhancing students’ future employment competitiveness and contributing to increasing diversity in the financial advice industry with a pool of next-generation, high-caliber talent.” Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/g3a6p6e6 #financialadvisers #financialservices #diversityandinclusion #financialindustry #diversetalent #nextgeneration #diverseworkforce #mentorship #dei

Good morning, past and present Business Bobcats! ☀️ Did you know THIS TUESDAY, April 9th, is Giving Day across OHIO?! 😸 BAACS would like to shed light on a Giving Day fund very important to the academic and career success of our students, the College of Business Student Organization Experiential Learning Fund — $1:$1 Match. This account will provide support to ensure students in the College of Business have equitable access to internships, enhanced career and professional development opportunities, and College of Business programming. Funds may be used for, but are not limited to, funding for student housing and related costs of internship opportunities (i.e., transportation and commute, utility expenses, etc.), career and professional development opportunities, and/or programming. In recent years, the fund has helped both individual COB students and COB student organizations in everything from case study participation to rent assistance during internships! Experiential learning is crucial to the success of OHIO College of Business Students. Consider donating to the College of Business Student Organization Experiential Learning Fund — $1:$1 Match this Giving Day! Learn more about Giving Day using the link below. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gdZPfa3B. #BAACStosuccess #WeGotYourBAACS