Fostering Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Introducing Empower by GoDaddy’s 2024 Partners

By Kami Hoskins, Sr. Director of Legal and Head of Corporate Sustainability and ESG at GoDaddy

As a trusted growth partner to millions of entrepreneurs globally, we at GoDaddy recognize that the entrepreneurial journey is as diverse and unique as the entrepreneurs themselves. According to GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative, every U.S. microbusiness entrepreneur adds about seven new jobs on a county-level through hiring and local spending.

Yet, we know that barriers along an entrepreneur’s journey are not experienced equally. Because GoDaddy understands the significant impact entrepreneurship has on local communities, our mission is to make opportunity more inclusive for all.

As a result, in 2017, we launched Empower by GoDaddy, our global social impact program, to support entrepreneurs in underserved communities. 

We built the Empower by GoDaddy program as a supportive community for all kinds of entrepreneurs. The organizations and people we bring together generously contribute their resources to create a holistic, meaningful experience for participating entrepreneurs.

Without the partnership of local nonprofit and community organizations, we could not adequately address the unique needs of each entrepreneur and provide the necessary education, mentoring and networking – Empower by GoDaddy’s three pillars – to help them grow their businesses online and in-person.

In 2023, we evaluated our program for areas of improvement, including carefully analyzing our impact and opportunities for growth to better serve more entrepreneurs. 

We learned through a gap analysis that there was potential for our program to have an even broader impact by increasing our support for Latinx, LGBTQIA+, veteran and formerly incarcerated entrepreneur communities.

I’m thrilled to announce we partnered with 12 incredible organizations, including five new partners, across the U.S. to offer Empower by GoDaddy programming in 2024. 

Collectively, our goal is to increase participants’ digital knowledge and encourage them to forge trusted relationships among their peers and experts, so they build the confidence and skills required to succeed.

Learn more about our 2024 partners:

• Better Business Bureau (BBB) Serving the Pacific Southwest 
  
  An Empower by GoDaddy partner since 2019, the BBB Serving the Pacific Southwest serves established and early-stage entrepreneurs in the Greater Arizona and Southern California regions who are eager to increase revenue, improve their online presence and grow ethically. 
   
• Business Impact Northwest (BINW) 
  
  Returning as an Empower by GoDaddy partner since 2020, BINW provides coaching, classes and access to capital to local small businesses, with an emphasis on working with traditionally underserved populations across Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Idaho. 
   
• Catapult Greater Pittsburgh 
  
  Sourced through engagement with our Venture Forward research initiative, Catapult Greater Pittsburgh is a new Empower by GoDaddy partner serving systematically disenfranchised communities seeking to break generational poverty and build generational wealth. Working together with Catapult Greater Pittsburgh, Empower by GoDaddy is eager to help participants understand the impact and value of using technology to support business growth. 
   
• Economic & Community Development Center of Ohio (ECDI) 
  
  ECDI Ohio recognizes that having a professional website and online presence is critical for today’s entrepreneurs. As an Empower by GoDaddy partner since 2020, ECDI reaches socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the state of Ohio and across 36 adjacent counties in West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. 
   
• Georgia Micro Enterprise Network (GMEN) 
  
  Another returning partner since 2020, GMEN targets underserved entrepreneurs in communities across the Southeast with marketing tools and resources to help small businesses promote their products or services online and drive growth. 
   
• Indian Dispute Resolution Center (IDRS Acorn Project) 
  
  New to the Empower by GoDaddy ecosystem, IDRS Acorn Project serves Native American entrepreneurs and on-reservation small businesses primarily in California, Nevada, Oklahoma and the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Through our partnership, we aim to help entrepreneurs use technology tools to market and operate their businesses. 
   
• Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) 
  
  We welcome the LEDC as a new Empower by GoDaddy partner for 2024. LEDC catalyzes the economic and social advancement of low- and moderate-income Latino families and other underserved communities so that they may become financially independent and build generational wealth. For years, LEDC provided small business technical assistance, but in recent years they became eager to expand their footprint by helping participants to be competitive in today’s business landscape through digital development tools. 
   
• Mi Casa Resource Center 
  
  Mi Casa Resource Center is another new Empower by GoDaddy partner, with presence in the Denver, Colorado area and a mission to advance the economic prosperity of the Latino community. Together, we will help connect low-income entrepreneurs with skills and resources to grow their businesses. 
   
• New Ventures Maine (NVME) 
  
  NVME, an Empower by GoDaddy partner since 2020, serves entrepreneurs in the 16 counties of Maine and helps rural entrepreneurs feel more comfortable with technology and e-commerce, including for all aspiring entrepreneurs in the state, and low-income individuals and families. 
   
• Small Business Development Center of Alabama State University (SBDC of ASU) 
  
  An Empower by GoDaddy partner since 2021, the SBDC of ASU is on a mission to equip entrepreneurs with vital resources critical for translating innovative ideas into tangible solutions and fostering sustainability, thereby propelling economic growth and societal progress across the state of Alabama. 
   
• The Last Mile (TLM) 
  
  We are excited to welcome TLM as a new partner for 2024. TLM provides digital skilling to incarcerated individuals and services to formerly incarcerated individuals. TLM services will now include Empower by GoDaddy’s entrepreneurial development offerings, which in turn may help create a stronger and more comprehensive impact on program alumni as they return to their communities. 
   
• Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST) 
  
  Last, but certainly not least, and a returning partner since 2020, WESST services 31 counties across New Mexico. In partnership with Empower by GoDaddy, WESST aims to establish or improve the digital presence of microbusiness owners and entrepreneurs across the state.

As highlighted in our 2023 Sustainability Report, we provided more than $1 million in funding to our community partners through Empower by GoDaddy in 2023. We served nearly 2,900 entrepreneurs through 250 workshops and facilitated more than 1,450 one-on-one mentorship sessions supported primarily by GoDaddy employees.

Together with our partners, we’re eager to advance on our 2024 Empower by GoDaddy programming, which includes updated curriculum that reflects the evolving needs of GoDaddy customers and trends in online sales, marketing and generative artificial intelligence.

To learn more about Empower by GoDaddy, visit https://www.godaddy.com/godaddy-for-good/empower.

Empower by GoDaddy Spotlight Series: By partnering with diverse local nonprofits and community organizations around the world, Empower by GoDaddy aims to reach those who haven’t otherwise had access by offering skills training, resources, and mentoring to help accelerate their business journeys. This article is part of the Empower by GoDaddy spotlight series that shines a light on the individuals who make this unique initiative possible.