Welcome to the Mentor Protégé Connection (MPC)!
If you had the opportunity to learn proven best practices from one of America’s top corporations, would you take it?
The Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection is a business development partnership between the State of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Enterprise Innovation Institute administered by Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC). It provides opportunities for Georgia small businesses to benefit from a partnership with a corporate mentor for a period of one year. Emerging firms can build relationships, explore new technologies, learn about best practices and benefit from the wisdom of corporate executives who are committed to the long-term health and overall growth of small businesses in Georgia. The goal of the program is to help small businesses to be successful over the long haul, by helping them to develop capacity, enhance their skill sets and become more competitive. Research has shown that access to the right kind of coaching and mentoring significantly increases the success rate in small business, while both the mentor and the protégé benefit tremendously from their interaction.
The mentor corporations are companies that are headquartered in Georgia or have a significant presence in the state. These mentor firms are leaders in their respective industries and are committed to small business development and supplier diversity. They represent a broad spectrum of industry categories, including transportation, education, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, consulting services and information technology. These firms are also exemplary corporate citizens, playing a major role in community development, charitable projects and philanthropy. Many are already corporate partners at the GMSDC, which means they have demonstrated their strong commitment to an open and competitive marketplace. For the small firm looking to go to the next level, these kinds of relationships are priceless.
Small business candidates must submit an application to be considered for the program and are screened according to a set of admissions criteria. If selected, a protégé firm is paired with a large corporate mentor, to focus on such areas as:
- New markets and global expansion
- New products, services and lines of business
- Professional development and training
- Relationship building, governmental affairs and networking
- 5. Operations and systems, including HR, IT, telecommunications, security and logistics
- Financial best practices, such as accounting, billing and investor relations
- Industry trends and strategic planning
MPC is administered by the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, in partnership with the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute and the State of Georgia. Sponsorship and administrative support is provided by many of Georgia’s leading corporations.