The University of North Georgia (UNG) received a $200,000 grant from Google.orgGoogle’s philanthropy, for the development of entrepreneurial resources in rural communities. In partnership with the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce, the Lumpkin County School District and the Lumpkin County Development Authority, The grant will commission a study to map existing resources that support innovation and entrepreneurship in Dahlonega and Lumpkin County and identify necessary resources that do not currently exist in order to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Georgia’s historic economic success is evident in every corner of the state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Through the development of strong partnerships with public and private stakeholders at the local level, North Georgia communities increasingly benefit from private sector investments like this, which will continue to drive transformational job creation , innovation and entrepreneurship. »
“Google.org’s generous grant for rural communities comes at a good time, as we hire a new director for our Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the coming months, and as the community continues to grow. focus on attracting and developing new businesses in the region,” Dr Mary Gowandean of UNG Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB), said. “Senator Gooch made the connection for us and demonstrated once again his commitment to opening the door to new initiatives for the university and the community.”
With a strong STEM focus at UNG and the Lumpkin County school system, this grant will also allow partner groups to create programs to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
“This partnership between UNG, the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce, the Lumpkin County School District and the Lumpkin County Development Authority provides an ideal path to provide the services our region’s entrepreneurs need ” said Senator Steve Gooch. “Google.org’s donation to rural communities is mission critical as partners work to grow and support the pipeline of entrepreneurs in rural North Georgia. I look forward to seeing the creative ideas that people in our region will put into motion thanks to the support they will have through this collaboration.”
the UNGs Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation expands broader footprint to include community programs. Computer science and cybersecurity are STEM programs housed at MCCB and a growing area of interest for entrepreneurial activity, alongside health care and other UNG STEM programs.
“Google is proud to call Georgia home. Our community partners and grant recipients are doing essential work on the ground in communities across the country, and we’re proud to support the future of innovation and entrepreneurship in Lumpkin County,” Lilyn Hester , Southeast external affairs and government relations manager for Google. “Improving access to computer science and STEM programming is important to Google because it is important to the future of our country and our communities.”
The Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce recently developed a collaborative workspace, providing small businesses, nonprofits and start-ups with access to high-speed internet, workspace, meeting rooms conference and other resources that would otherwise not be accessible. accessible to them.
“It’s a good way for us to merge our resources and open up partnerships with the university for the business community,” said Robb Nichols, executive director of the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce.
UNG, the Dahlonega-Lumpkin Chamber of Commerce, the Lumpkin County School District and the Lumpkin County Development Authority will create learning opportunities to inspire innovation and entrepreneurial thinking in the community. This will include a local “Innovation Pitch” competition where community participants will be matched with a mentor, and winners will receive both mini-grants and the opportunity to participate in an accelerator to advance their business. This model will also be implemented in local secondary schools in the future.
“We have an opportunity to cultivate something bigger through a partnership that will bring long-term benefits to the community,” said Rebecca Mincey, Lumpkin County Community and Economic Development Director. “The grant has brought us closer together and these efforts go beyond one-time commitments.”
About Google.org
Google.org, Google‘Google philanthropy brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges by combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. It involves nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and civic entities that have a significant impact on the communities they serve and whose work has the potential to produce meaningful, scalable change.
