Nicole Garner-Scott is a PR maven, author, philanthropist and entrepreneur. A graduate of Georgia State University and New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, she is now launching a new venture that is geared toward a specific demographic she knows very well. Garner and 100 female entrepreneurs are collaborating on an all-female workspace called Open for Business.
The work space, slated to open in the historic Auburn Avenue district, will be 1800-square-feet and is targeted to budding and established female entrepreneurs.
“My entrepreneur spirit hit very early in life,” Garner-Scott says. “I actually went to college not to really work for someone, but always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. It was just figuring out what that entrepreneurial journey was going to be for me. Entrepreneurship is something that struck me as a kid.”
Garner-Scott started her PR agency while in college and knew she wanted to expand her brand further. She is working closely with one of her mentees on the project, Tiara LaRae Johnson, who heads her own company, TLJ Headlines.
“There’s a fast growing number of millennials in Atlanta and a lot of millennial entrepreneurs,” Johnson said. “I was just fortunate enough to have Nicole Garner become my mentor and help get me through some of the things that I go through as a millennial business owner. For somebody that’s like me, or around my age group, that needs an extra push or extra advice, they’re able to go to different facilitators or mentors inside the space. It will provide an opportunity to millennial entrepreneurs to grow. Atlanta is moving so rapidly as far as creatives and creative business owners. It’s kind of like bridging the gap between all types of female entrepreneurs.”
The building will not only be a workplace, but will also be an “ecosphere” with workshops and continuing education classes designed for business owners. Open ffor Business will provide a safe haven where they can learn and grow with each other.
“It definitely creates a women’s empowerment movement and provides us with a backbone and a strong group of people that’s coming together. Just being a female is a powerful thing. Being a business owner and creating a wave of ‘we can do this,’ we can create our startups, we can create Fortune 500 companies. It allows you to feel like you can make it. It provides that solid support system through everything we go through,” Johnson believes.
They hope to eventually partner with larger companies like Google to create resources for small-business owners that do not have access to certain funding or opportunities. Garner-Scott adds, “What we really look forward to coming from the space is a place where deals can happen. We’re also looking for people to be able to join together and pool their efforts to go for the larger contracts and larger pieces of the pie. It’s a collaborative mindset that truly gets people to the next level.”
–leonye mccalla
