@VIVIANSDOOR
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OUR
HISTORY

The name Vivian’s Door references the civil rights activism of Vivian Malone Jones. On a blisteringly sweltering day in June 1963, Vivian Malone Jones defied Alabama Governor George Wallace’s attempts to deny her an education with his famous symbolic stand in the schoolhouse door. Still, with state troopers at her side, Vivian marched through the doors of the University of Alabama’s School of Commerce and Business Administration.

Two years later, Vivian Malone became the first Black University of Alabama graduate.

African Americans have a long and tiring history of adversity but also of triumph in the face of it. Vivian’s determination, persistence, and resilience, as well as the support of her family, friends, and community, are the guiding principles we stand behind every day.

Then, and now, the importance of those collective actions opens the door to something great for future generations. The power of community-based support leads to adversity-defying, far-reaching social change at all levels. In 1996, former Governor George Wallace presented Vivian Malone Jones with the
Lurleen B. Wallace Award for Courage and asked her forgiveness.

OUR ADVOCACY

We deliver the concepts and connections that boost your business. ANYONE can start and grow a business with the right resources, connections, mentors, guidance, and education. We open doors, expose you to influencers, and create the opportunities you need to reach for the stars, realize economic prosperity, and obtain the goals you have set for your business.

THE FACTORS

White wealth is as much as twelve times higher than median minority wealth. COVID-19 changed many things for all businesses, but Black businesses took the most brutal blows. McKinsey Institute reports that 41% of Black businesses had to shut down. For too many years, they have sustained the impact of funding inequalities and lack the financial resources to lift themselves as they climb. These factors create further hurdles that slow their roll to achieving success.

We must create a more diverse and hospitable business ecosystem. One that allows Black entrepreneurs to become more resilient, grow, thrive, and survive; from government officials to community leaders, anchor institutions, corporations, and especially venture capitalists, all hands must be on deck to elevate them as they climb. Now more than ever, we must bind together to support Black-owned businesses and help them pull through these challenging times. Like the old African proverb says, “if you want to go quickly, go alone but if you want to go far, go together.” To go far – we must go quickly together.

Small business owners are the true economic engines of our economy when all else is equal. Economic inequality continues to widen the enormous racial wealth gap in America.

Vivian’s Door intends to change that.

Vivians Door creates a more inclusive economy for everyone:

  • The 2019 Annual Business Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that minority-owned businesses account for only 18.3% percent of all small businesses in the U.S.
  • Minority-owned businesses employ 8.7 million people (SBA).
  • In the history of Fortune 500, there have been only 15 black CEOs.
  • Only 2% of American companies with at least one employee are Black owned.
  • About 14% of minority-owned firms have been in business for less than two years.

THE NEED

Minority-owned businesses have been short-changed out of the materials needed to grow and scale their businesses, along with many other unique challenges that have caused them to struggle as they try to expand.

Some people even think that you either have what it takes to be an entrepreneur or not. You hear, “pull yourself up by your boot-straps,” or “you’re not working hard enough or long enough.” But entrepreneurship is not like singing on Broadway or playing in the NBA. Natural talent helps, but in no way is it mandatory. Small businesses need to know what is available and can be learned, especially when support, information, direction, and connections are readily available.

We have studied this strange phenomenon for the past three years, with extensive research and field interviews. We spoke to community leaders and minority business owners. At Vivian’s Door, we came away with the realization that the critical reasons minority businesses fail, comes from a lack of a high-quality management education and capital, the need for mentors to pick them up when they begin to falter, limited access to the right connections, weak support networks, and a lack of clients and contracts.

We also learned that when you can scale and grow, you can uplift yourself and your staff and reinvest in your community. After brainstorming ideas, we created a solution that would address ALL these needs— Vivian’s Door! We embrace the ideas that all parties at all levels interact and freely share knowledge, connections, and information in a fun and interactive way.

We provide an end-to-end process that equips Black business owners with corporate connections, vital financial information and resources, and the knowledge to grow their businesses successfully. In other words, Black dollars stay longer and continue to circulate in the Black community.

WHAT WE DO

Are you focused on Success? We understand and are here to assist by delivering business training and mentoring solutions
that help our clients implement entrepreneurial ideas and grow business enterprises.

Vivian’s Door is an economic justice 501(c)3 nonprofit created in 2016 and officially founded in 2018 by establishing the Vivian’s Door Business Center and Mobile App. We provide business education and training for minority business owners through workshops, mentoring and networking sessions, social media communications, and community-building events. We are grassroots, boots on the ground, belly to belly with small business owners throughout our footprint.

Our goal is to facilitate community development and economic success through local minority business growth and development, scale, and reinvestment in their communities. Our team focuses on grassroots community engagement with the development of Vivian’s Door Marketplace Mobile App, providing resources and opportunities that benefit consumers and business owners alike.

OUR MISSION
AND PILLARS OF STRENGTH

Client-focused and results-driven.

We deliver personalized solutions for impactful and innovative capacity building opportunities, while remaining focused on our client’s vision for success through…

  • Serving as the Doorway for minority business owners to engage with a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem of Training, Support, Opportunities, and Resources.
  • Connecting minority business owners with community members who seek their products and services.
  • Creating an environment that fosters supplier diversity.

Take a Walk-through Vivian’s Door to discover our Marketplace resources on our Mobile App:

  • Provides Scholarship and Training Resources
  • Offers Mentoring and Networking Opportunities
  • Gives Direct Access to Valuable Corporate Connections
  • Provides Access to a Catalog of Minority-Owned Businesses
COURAGE
CHANGE
PROGRESS
All Contents Copyright © 2024 Vivian’s Door. All Rights Reserved Vivian's Door is a 501c3 organization. EIN: 82-4629961