Our Program

The Georgia Mentor Protégé Connection (GMPC) is a business development program that matches small business protégé firms in Georgia with a Georgia corporation for a one-year mentoring and business development partnership. Led by the Georgia Education Foundation (GEF), the educational arm of the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC), the GMPC has had a long association with the state of Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Enterprise Innovation Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Emerging firms who are accepted into the program have an opportunity to position their businesses for exponential growth, by focusing in on key areas of opportunity such as business acumen, financial soundness, methods and procedures, competitiveness and capability. The ultimate goal of the program is to create jobs and spur economic growth throughout the state of Georgia by building the capacity of small business firms.

• Develop the business acumen, performance capacity and competitiveness of small businesses
• Stimulate growth and create new jobs in Georgia through small business development
• Help emerging firms avoid the pitfalls and mistakes that hinder business growth
• Expose mentor corporations to potential new suppliers and contractors
• Allow protégé principals to access the experience and expertise of successful senior executives

• Evaluate applicants to insure compliance with program criteria
• Pair up companies from related industries or where there is synergy
• Assess protégé readiness to engage global supply chains and identify gaps
• Develop a plan to address the three top priorities the relationship will focus on
• Attend program events and follow the proven GMPC curriculum
• Survey graduates for feedback and continuous improvement opportunities

The GPC calendar consists of a full slate of mandatory group activities, a number of networking and social events, and additional one-on-one meetings between mentor and protégé at the discretion of the participants. The program also features a number of exposure events and other opportunities for alternative learning experiences, including events such as Leadercast and the GMSDC Business Opportunity Exchange.

VIEW OUR PROGRAM CALENDAR