KANSAS CITY, Mo. (December 21, 2021)—Michele Markham, EAG Advertising & Marketing’s president and chief executive officer, graduated from the National Fall 2021 Cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Markham was the only Kansas Citian accepted into the prestigious program, and her cohort was the first invited to spend the final week of the program at the Goldman Sachs headquarters in New York City.
Markham joined the graduating cohort of more than 140 small business owners from 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The program is a highly selective education and peer networking program in which business owners develop an actionable growth plan for their small businesses.
The rigorous 13-week program addresses small business barriers to growth, a topic EAG has experience having been the outsourced marketing agency for more than 500 small business clients since 2003.
“I’m so proud to be a new alumna of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program,” says Markham. “EAG is a small business, just like the clients we serve. These past 13 weeks provided even deeper insights into the management issues small businesses face in today’s economic climate, giving us practical business education, business support services and pathways to help our clients’ strategic growth, along with our own.”
Small business owners were nominated to the program by alumni and invited to apply. The pool was narrowed as finalists advanced to the interview stage, after which only 164 scholars from around the country were ultimately accepted into the National Fall 2021 Cohort, of which about 140 graduated from the program.
“To spend this time with the program faculty and business advisors, not to mention the other small business owners in a variety of industries who collectively represent over $140M in revenue and employ over 1,400 people, is an experience like none other,” adds Markham. “Through these relationships, I’ve expanded my management team over a hundred-fold and am excited to serve as that resource for others.”
Goldman Sachs, in collaboration with Babson College, developed the curriculum to focus on the practical business skills that small business owners can apply immediately, helping them gain the tools needed for growth. Since 2009, nearly 12,400 small business owners have completed the program.
About EAG Advertising & Marketing
From its headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., EAG has served more than 500 clients, helping them expand their marketing capacity by becoming their full-service outsourced marketing department. In-house seasoned marketing professionals conduct services in all disciplines, including brand development, consulting, media placement, creative design, content development, channel management, website design and search engine optimization.
EAG is a winner of numerous small business and creative advertising awards, including Kansas City’s Best Places to Work, Fountain Awards, Philanthropic (Philly) Awards, Kansas City’s Fastest Growing Companies and 2019 Agency of the Year.