Building the
ecosystem we need together
MBT Collective is a nonprofit rooted in Macon, Georgia — building the infrastructure, connections, and resources that Macon-Bibb entrepreneurs need to grow while supporting an innovation economy that reflects the full power of our community.
2019
100+
10+
Roots in Macon
Entrepreneurs Touched
Community Partners
Rooted in community.
Committed to the long game.
Who We Are
MBT Collective is the nonprofit arm of Macon Black Tech — a movement we've been building since 2019 to make sure that innovation in Macon-Bibb County belongs to everyone. Especially those who've been left out of the story historically.
We believe that ecosystem building is long, collective, and deeply human work. It's not just programs, events, or cool technology — it's trust, relationships, infrastructure, and the steady presence that shows up even when the warm fuzzies are gone.
Our work connects entrepreneurs to resources, builds the systems that help them thrive, and positions Macon-Bibb as a model for what inclusive innovation can look like in mid-size cities across the South.
The Principles That Guide Us
Long-term thinking over quick wins
Collective infrastructure while rooting for individual success
Entrepreneurship as a community asset
Rooted in Macon, connected nationally
MBT Collective's mission is to support closing the local wealth gap by building the infrastructure Macon-Bibb entrepreneurs need to grow.
Through community-driven research, intentional programming, symbiotic partnerships, and ecosystem mapping, we surface gaps, create transparency, and triage resources to founders who need them while equipping early-stage founders with the tools, data, and support to build sustainable ventures, hire locally, and improve quality of life across every zip code in Macon-Bibb County.
We are an early-stage organization building this infrastructure deliberately, in community, and for the long term.
Mission.
A Macon-Bibb County where every founder — in every zip code — has the infrastructure, resources, and networks available to build thriving ventures, where entrepreneurship is a real pathway to generational wealth, and where the ecosystem built to support them is as strong and visible as the founders within it.
Our Vision
We envision a future where:
Entrepreneurs move from survival to sustainability
Support organizations work in coordination, not silos
Data infrastructure empowers communities, not extracts from them
Wealth-building is accessible in historically disinvested neighborhoods
Regional economic resilience is built from the ground up
"We're not building for the moment — we're building for the generation that comes after us."
— MBT Collective
Why Our Work Matters
The reality that is uncomfortable to talk about.
24.73%
Nearly 1 in 4 residents in Macon-Bibb County live below the poverty line — a stark reminder of the economic conditions our entrepreneurs are navigating. (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts)
The challenge is real.
Aspiring entrepreneurs aren't just struggling to launch businesses — they're struggling to meet basic needs. The local ecosystem can feel fragmented. Support exists, but it's hard to find and even harder to navigate. Solopreneurs are doing it all alone, strained by the weight of running everything without a team, a roadmap, or a single coordinated resource that sees them clearly — while operating in a market where expansion feels out of reach. Long-time business owners who have survived recessions, pandemics, and every economic shift thrown at them are still standing — but standing isn't the same as thriving. And artists and creatives, who carry the cultural heartbeat of this community, can feel chronically overlooked by an infrastructure that doesn't always make the next step clear.
Across every stage and every sector, the story is the same: support exists, but feels hard to navigate — and the strain of that gap falls squarely on the people trying hardest to build something.
Not top-down. Not transactional. Built by the community, sustained for the community
Because Macon deserves an innovation economy that works for everyone.
With your help, we're building a coordinated infrastructure where entrepreneurs don't have to choose between survival and growth. Through community-sourced data tools, peer community, and aligned partnerships, we're creating clear pathways from idea to launch to scale.
Our response.
What We’re Focused On
Three pillars. One ecosystem.
Everything we build is interconnected. Our programs, partnerships, and infrastructure work together to support an ecosystem where entrepreneurs don't just survive — they shape the future of this city.
Entrepreneurship Support
Hands-on programming, pitch competitions like MaconThon, workshops, and peer networks that give founders the tools, community, and visibility they need to grow.
Collective Infrastructure
We're building the organizational backbone — governance, partnerships, fundraising, and communications — that allows this work to sustain, scale, and serve our community for years to come.
Ecosystem Mapping & Data
Through our Macon-Bibb Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project — built in partnership with many partners — we're creating shared infrastructure that makes the ecosystem legible, navigable, and accountable to the people in it.
Programs & Projects
The work in motion.
From flagship initiatives to community convenings, here's what we're actively building — and where you can plug in.
Macon-Bibb Ecosystem Project
A community-driven research and mapping initiative that creates transparency across the Macon-Bibb entrepreneurship ecosystem. The project is organized around three interconnected layers:
The People
The human infrastructure behind the platform — entrepreneurs at the heart of the work, supported by an Advisory Committee, Working Committee, Alliance Members, Tech Team, and Innovation Consultants.
The Platform
A triage and referral engine powered by an AI data layer that surfaces gaps, tracks referrals, routing entrepreneurs to the right support at the right time.
Built Here: Roots & Routes - The Event
Storytelling as activation. A convening that tells the ecosystem's story, informs stakeholders about available resources, attracts local and national attention to what's being built in Macon-Bibb
Events & Convenings
MBT Collective convenes and collaborates across the region and nationally because ecosystem building doesn't stop at our front door.
COMMUNITY INNOVATION FELLOW PROGRAM
Join the work from the inside.
A role for someone who knows Macon-Bibb.
The Community Innovation Fellow is a program at the heart of something being built for Macon-Bibb — and for the entrepreneurs who call it home. As a Fellow, you will work across the Macon-Bibb Innovation Ecosystem Platform and the Innovation Alliance, helping connect organizations, capture community insights, and make sure the platform reflects what entrepreneurs in this community actually need.
- Type — Part-time, stipend-based
- Hours — Approximately 10–15 hours per week
- Term — 4-month
- Location — Macon-Bibb County, GA — in-person presence required for convenings
This is a community-embedded role for someone who knows Macon-Bibb, moves through it with trust, and wants to put that knowledge to work building something that lasts.
Fellows are selected through a formal interview process reviewed by a Committee.
We strongly encourage applications from individuals with experience in one or more of:
Small Business, Community Organizing, Technology & Data, Creative Economy, Government & Policy, Workforce Development, Financial Literacy, Multilingual Engagement, Faith & Grassroots, Healthcare & Social Services, & Placemaking.
Impact & Results
The work, measured.
In Macon-Bibb County, Georgia's 5-year small business survival rate sits at approximately 49.6% — below the national average and among the lowest in the South Atlantic region. Mid-size cities with high poverty rates like Macon typically perform below even that state baseline.
Sources: The Atlanta Voice · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
"Supporting an entrepreneur through the Macon-Bibb Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project means connecting them to at least one resource, referral, funding pathway, or peer relationship that moves them from their current stage to the next — and tracking that movement over time."
That's the gap we're working to close. Our 2036 goal aims to raise the 5-year survival rate for ecosystem-connected Macon-Bibb founders to 65%+ — a meaningful, credible shift grounded in coordinated support and data.
2036
10-Year North Star
- 2,500+ Ecosystem Scale — Entrepreneurs actively using the platform annually
- 75+ Alliance — Partner organizations in the Alliance across Middle Georgia
- 40+ Fellows — Community Innovation Fellows trained and active
- 65%+ Economic Impact — 5-year survival rate for ecosystem-connected founders (vs. ~50% Georgia baseline)
- 500+ Economic Impact — Businesses launched by founders connected through MBT Collective
- $10M+ Funding — Connected to ecosystem entrepreneurs through platform referrals and partnerships
- 2+ Replication — Mid-size Southern cities where the Macon model has been documented and shared
MBT Collective's full ecosystem vision
The foundation is already here.
What We've Built
- Macon-Bibb Innovation Ecosystem Dashboard 1.0 — built in partnership with Orange Sparkle Ball, mapping 143 organizations across 18 industries, 8 zip codes.
- Collaborations with local and national businesses and support organizations
- Alliance Partnership Assessment Framework — six-step onboarding from first conversation to signed membership agreement
Near-Term Goals
2026
Macon-Bibb Entrepreneur Ecosystem Project
- 100 Engagement — Entrepreneurs engaged through the platform by end of year
- 25 Alliance — Partner organizations in the Macon-Bibb Innovation Alliance
- 4 working committee members— Community Innovation Fellows and interns placed and active
- ✓ Infrastructure —Platform in beta, working committee convened, and Alliance operational
Work With Us
Partnership is how we grow.
Our work doesn't happen in isolation. We're actively building relationships with funders, institutions, corporations, and community organizations who believe in what a more equitable innovation economy can look like. If that's you, we want to hear from you.
Funders
Philanthropic Partners
Support MBT Collective through grants and philanthropic investment. We are committed to impact reporting and deep transparency with our funding partners.
Let's connect.
Whether you're a funder, a potential partner, or someone who wants to plug into what we're building — reach out. We respond to every message.
Corporate
Corporate Partners
Align your brand with a movement driving equitable economic growth in the South. Sponsorship opportunities available across programs and events.
Institutions
Institutional Partners
We partner with universities, city agencies, chambers, and community foundations to co-create programs and shared ecosystem infrastructure.
Our Partners
Building together, not in silos.
We work alongside organizations committed to economic opportunity and community wealth-building:
Interested in partnering with us?
Meet Our Board
Community leadership driving our mission forward.
Christele Parham
Executive Director
Co-founder of MBT Collective and a community leader dedicated to building spaces where founders, creatives, and entrepreneurs can connect and grow. She brings a strong passion for ecosystem-building and expanding opportunity in Macon and across Middle Georgia.
Stephanie Howard
Board Member
University Faculty Member where she contributes expertise in business education, marketing, and leadership development. She brings a thoughtful, community-centered perspective to MBT Collective's mission and long-term strategy.
Ariane Parham
Board Member
Ariane brings a unique professional experience spanning healthcare IT and compliance. His perspective as a founder and technologist strengthens the board's capacity to support the organization's data-driven, infrastructure-first approach.
Shawn Johnson
Board Member
Shawn is the Founding CEO of Mobile App Hero, a software development and digital consulting company, with more than 19 years of experience building custom mobile solutions for major brands. He brings deep technical leadership and entrepreneurial experience to MBT Collective's board.
Dretavius Parham
Board Member
DreTavius is an educator and motivational speaker whose work centers student mental wellness, educator support, and youth success. He brings a powerful commitment to community and human development that aligns with MBT Collective's values.
Press & Recognition
The work is getting noticed.
The Macon Melody
Innovation dashboard fills in gaps for Middle Ga. entrepreneurs
December 2025
The Macon Melody reported on Macon's Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem Dashboard receiving resources from Georgia Tech's Partnership for Innovation — featuring Christele Parham on the vision of connecting entrepreneurs to a true one-stop-shop for resources across Macon-Bibb County.
Middle Georgia Times
Macon Black Tech & Orange Sparkle Ball unveil Innovation Ecosystem Mapping results
June 2024
Macon Black Tech and Orange Sparkle Ball were featured for unveiling the Macon Innovation Ecosystem Mapping Survey results at the Washington Memorial Library — part of the U.S. Census TOP x National League of Cities Sprint to map the innovation ecosystem in Macon.
Orange Sparkle Ball
Innovator Spotlight: Macon Black Tech
Innovator Spotlight · 2024
Orange Sparkle Ball featured Macon Black Tech as an Ecosystem Partner in the 2023 TOP NLC Sprint, spotlighting Christele Parham and the work to map Macon's local innovation ecosystem through social network analysis and precision community intervention design.
Make a Donation
Invest in the ecosystem.
Your contribution directly funds programming, capacity, and the infrastructure that makes this work possible. Every dollar stays in Macon and goes back to our community.
MBT Collective is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations may be tax-deductible.