Association for Enterprise Opportunity and GoDaddy Announce National Expansion of Social Impact Initiative for Underserved Entrepreneurs

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of a robust marketplace for underserved microbusinesses, and GoDaddy (NYSE: GDDY), the company that empowers everyday entrepreneurs, today announced the national expansion of a social impact program, Empower by GoDaddy, in 26 states and the District of Columbia. The first large-scale national rollout of Empower by GoDaddy gives microbusiness owners in underserved communities across the U.S. the tools, skills, and mentorship needed to build a successful digital presence.

"AEO's report Reimagining Technical Assistance: Shifting the Support Landscape for Main Street highlighted the importance of personalized solutions for the barriers that impede the growth of underserved businesses," said AEO President and CEO Connie Evans. "Main Street is stretched thin-- people are doing more with less. So to help level the online playing field, we have partnered with the best in digital marketing and community organizations on the ground, to give low-wealth entrepreneurs what they need to accelerate growth and increase success."     

Through participating Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), small and microbusiness owners as well as those looking to start their own venture, will have access to custom online workshops created by GoDaddy and support from GoDaddy coaches in group and webinar settings. Additional resources include mentorship and networking opportunities. Topics of the workshops include branding your domain name, evaluating your business, creating the right content, getting online and building a website, getting found using SEO, social media, e-commerce, among others.

Business owners taking part in the program will also receive customized marketing education assets, access to webinars, blogs, and videos pertaining to course curriculum, as well as free GoDaddy products to establish an online presence. Member organizations that have partnered with GoDaddy and AEO for the program currently reach underserved demographics in rural and urban areas, including veterans, women, people of color, immigrants, refugees, returning citizens, seniors, and members of the LGBTQ community. Program length and other components will vary by organization.  

"GoDaddy knows that inclusive entrepreneurship fuels local economies, ultimately improving lives," said Stacy Cline, Director of Corporate Citizenship at GoDaddy. "We believe that anyone, anywhere should have an equal opportunity to make their entrepreneurial dreams a reality. But we also know that some people don't have access to the right tools and support to get them going. For the last two years, we've worked hard to bring this program to more entrepreneurs and we are excited to expand our impact with AEO. Empower by GoDaddy seeks to find solutions that are tailored for each community, and we are thrilled to use our knowledge and resources to help underserved entrepreneurs in a way that makes a lasting impact."

Residents in the following states can visit AEO's site to find the participating organizations near them: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

To learn more about the program, please visit: www.aeoworks.org/our-work/cohorts/empower/

About Association for Enterprise Opportunity
The Association for Enterprise Opportunity is the leading voice of innovation for microfinance and microbusiness. Our mission is to create economic opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs throughout the United States. We engineer transformational change through research, convening, incubation, and advocacy to foster a robust and inclusive marketplace. For more information, please visit www.aeoworks.org.

About GoDaddy
GoDaddy is empowering everyday entrepreneurs around the world by providing all of the help and tools to succeed online. With nearly 19 million customers worldwide, GoDaddy is the place people come to name their idea, build a professional website, attract customers and manage their work. Our mission is to give our customers the tools, insights and the people to transform their ideas and personal initiative into success. To learn more about the company visit www.GoDaddy.com.

Media Contact:
Marissa Hermo
201-962-5983
communications@aeoworks.org

SOURCE Association for Enterprise Opportunity