Atlanta Nonprofit Honors Innovative Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
Atlanta- In a significant celebration at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Synergies Work, an Atlanta-based nonprofit supporting disabled entrepreneurs, honored five top-performing businesses in the second annual EDDIE Awards.
Synergies Work: Empowering Disabled Entrepreneurs
Piloted with a mission to spotlight successful and innovative businesses within the disability community, Synergies Work has significant breakthroughs. The award event was richly diversified, with businesses ranging from a dating app for people with disabilities to a travel company catering to wheelchair users.
One unique sight was Malik Wilson, famously known as Question ATL, in action. Wilson, a blind artist and rapper, performed at the event, bringing an energizing and inspirational presence. “It’s very inspiring to be here and see so many people with different disabilities and diversity displaying competence and confidence,” Wilson said.
Overcoming the Challenges
Since the National Disability Institute shows that people with disabilities have a higher likelihood of poverty, running their businesses offers a promising way out. In Georgia, over 2 million people live with disability, and this number is over 61 million at the national level.
For Wilson, the journey has not been alone: “Synergies Work has been very inspirational to me. It has shown me how many different entrepreneurs there are in the disabled space, and there is a huge fellowship of people willing to lend advice, kindness, and appreciation,” he commented.
Aarthi Saghal: The Face Behind Synergies Work
Aarthi Saghal, the innovative founder of Synergies Work, indicates the awards are about both recognition and exposure: “We wanted to honor the entrepreneurs; we wanted to show the community how much talent exists in the disability space and how easy it is for us to overlook people because of our ableist points of view,” said Saghal.
Synergies Work holds a powerful networking platform for disabled innovators aspiring to turn their dreams into reality. The recent $100,000 grant from Care Source is set to further support the entrepreneurs in this network.
Lamont McLeod, owner of Agape Family Health Care Services, was full of praise for the assistance the platform has offered: “[Aarthi] has given us a platform we would not have had,” he expressed.
The Path Forward
Saghal has stated that Synergies Work will channel the funds to provide loans for disability-led businesses with goals of bridging the funding gap. She emphasized that the focus is empowering disabled entrepreneurs by merging the disability and business communities. “So yes, we need money. We need resources to support entrepreneurs,” said Saghal.
The Synergies Work Awards were indeed a milestone, not only for the honored businesses but for everyone who dreams of a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape. By shining a spotlight on disabled entrepreneurs, they inspire others in similar situations that nothing is beyond reach, not even entrepreneurship if they’re determined.