Accelerating women’s micro-businesses to improve lives: Can Start:ME, a US microbusiness accelerator for disadvantaged communities, provide insights for Asia and the Pacific?

In both developing and developed countries, some populations do not enjoy the benefits of economic growth due to persistent group disparities in income and wealth. Atlanta in the US is a city characterized by enduring disparities on the one hand and initiatives aimed at promoting inclusive economic development and prosperity through investments in human capital on the other hand. In this presentation, I share findings from research I conducted in 2023 with Start:ME, an accelerator program for micro-entrepreneurs from diverse and low-income areas in Atlanta, to consider what lessons may be transferable to programs enabling women's micro-entrepreneurship in urban parts of Asia and the Pacific. Most participants in Start:ME are women, and many have minority and migrant backgrounds. Emory University and its grassroots community partners offer the program for free. It transforms these micro-entrepreneurs' knowledge, practice and opportunities and supports them in developing and operating micro-enterprises that benefit them and their communities.

Speaker’s Bio

Kate Golebiowska conducts and publishes research on immigrant settlement and inclusion. Her work sits at the intersection of human geography, demography, entrepreneurship and workforce planning and development. In the spring of 2023, during her Fulbright award, Kate investigated the Emory University Goizueta Business School's Start:ME business accelerator for immigrant and minority micro-entrepreneurs to inform the development of similar programs in Australia and the region. By offering insights into inclusive economic development strategies and emphasising women's empowerment in marginalised communities, Kate's research transcends geographical boundaries and is relevant to the socio-economic development in Asia. Specifically, it illuminates how stakeholder partnerships can foster women's micro-entrepreneurship, expand their economic opportunities, enrich social capital, and promote rights. Kate has a PhD in Public Policy from the Australian National University. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Charles Darwin University in Darwin, Australia. She serves as the Vice-President of the Australian Population Association and an Associate Editor for the Journal of Population Research.