Atlanta entrepreneurs get a boost in time for Small Business Saturday
SPARK Innovation lab aims to transform small businesses in Sweet Auburn
SPARK Innovation will provide small business owners in Sweet Auburn Historic District with targeted technical assistance, funding and community support. Varnell said the SPARK lab aims to transform retail in Sweet Auburn, but LeJuano Varnell, Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works, said the project could transfer to almost any neighborhood in Atlanta.
ATLANTA - Sweet Auburn Works, an organization working to revitalize the Sweet Auburn, Old Fourth Ward and Downtown Atlanta neighborhoods, announced a new project aiming to revitalize one of Atlanta's most historic neighborhoods.
SPARK Innovation will provide small business owners in Sweet Auburn Historic District with targeted technical assistance, funding and community support. Bank of America is providing grants of up to $25,000 per business to entrepreneurs through Sweet Auburn Works.
SPARK Innovation lab opened on Small Business Saturday and is a kind of small business incubator.
"In this beautiful part of town that sits between downtown and the Beltline, we're asking you to bundle up, come down to 228 Auburn Avenue and take a look at how we're supporting retailers in the neighborhood," said LeJuano Varnell, Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works.
Varnell said the SPARK lab aims to transform retail in Sweet Auburn, but Varnell said the project could transfer to almost any neighborhood in Atlanta.
The innovation lab partners with students in the Savannah College of Art and Design's service design studio, SCAD SERVE, which caters to neighborhoods' needs with designs that aim to improve the quality of life for residents of Atlanta and Savannah.
"We are thrilled to welcome the city to shop, dine and play in the heart of Sweet Auburn," said Varnell. "We want to offer a truly authentic customer experience by shopping our array of local makers and vendors while getting a sneak peek of our visionary future of a reimagined retail corridor."
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