- This month on The SPARK, our theme is "Start Here, Grow Here".

We'll learn about a nonprofit dedicated to educating students about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy, a membership of entrepreneurs dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of leaders, and an agency driving economic development and creating opportunity through strategic investment, business growth, and community-focused partnerships.

We'll also share a special moment from our SPARK Awards 2025.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting the positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The SPARK.

- (male announcer) Additional funding for The SPARK is provided by United Way of the Mid-South, EcOp, the Memphis Zoo, and by the Medical Education and Research Institute.

- Have you ever been excited by a new idea, inspired by watching someone lead by example?

When we talk about creating change, we start by sharing the stories of everyday heroes who are making a difference in their own way, so we can learn and do the same.

I'm Jeremy Park, and this is The SPARK.

They're a nonprofit dedicated to educating students on entrepreneurialism, work readiness, and financial literacy.

We're here with the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, Leigh Mansberg.

And let's start out, give us some background, give us some history for Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South.

- Thank you, Jeremy.

And it's a pleasure to be here.

And Junior Achievement is busy celebrating her 70th anniversary.

That's 70 years of making sure that children can build thriving lives and want to stay and build those lives in Memphis and the Mid-South.

We are making sure that children see opportunity and they can take their talents and find a place for that opportunity to launch and thrive.

- You have so much programming to dive into, but you also have a still fairly new, beautiful new building.

Let's start there with the beautiful new building.

- We do, the Wang Experiential Learning Center.

We are so proud.

She's been open for three years, since January 23rd, 2023, and she's now at capacity.

Eleven thousand children a year are coming to J.A.

BizTown and J.A.

Finance Park, and they're also participating in newly launched programs, like our Career Institute for grade 7 through 12, and the launch of Finance Park Advance for our high school students to make sure that they are ready for those first paychecks.

And they know exactly, students from Junior Achievement will not be surprised when FICA is removed from their paychecks.

- Tease us a little bit, for those who haven't seen it.

'Cause obviously we want people to go in and volunteer and see it firsthand, but it is amazing.

And so all these beautiful storefronts and businesses obviously plugging in, but give us a little teaser.

- Oh, I'd love to.

So the Amazing Learning Center is a pretend city.

We call it our city and our rules.

And it has 19 beautiful storefronts that are all learning spaces where children come to be the CEOs, the CFOs, the plant managers, the sales managers, the scientists, the doctors, the lab technicians, the mayor, and the council people to learn how to run the city of the future, to make sure that they want to engage their citizenry, not only in the economy, but as leaders with their voices and their agencies to make sure that they're ready to defend their own home communities.

- You mentioned obviously the taxes and paychecks and all of that plays in.

There's curriculum before they even step into J.A.

BizTown and Finance Park.

Talk about that piece of working in the schools.

- We're so fortunate to work with hundreds of schools and their incredible educators.

Everything we do begins with the classroom teacher to make sure that we can put our learning and our experiences within context.

We're not just a field trip.

We are an extension of all the schools that we serve so that our partners know that preparing children for the world of work and in financial literacy, that they have a true partner.

So it begins in the classroom and it ends with experiential play-based learning, which is hands-on, minds open, which is what we love.

- Talk about how all of this weaves together to create a more successful, thriving community.

- Thriving communities require an engaged and educated citizenry.

And so all of this knits together because children can't become what they can't see.

And one of the greatest things that Junior Achievement does is they get to meet adults and mentors throughout the community who are going to be their guides.

You are not in this alone.

And so we equip teachers.

We have the business community, we have hundreds of business leaders who come into their classroom.

Just yesterday, Allie Manning was talking about the power of food science with children from Power Center Academy.

And that's just one example.

We know that when children meet leaders from their community, they will be inspired by them and see the path forward.

We can't make the assumption that the path forward is clear.

We want to make sure that they're on that journey with a friend and a partner who can show them the way.

- One of the other things I think is unique, especially around financial literacy is almost kind of the upside, literally, where the youth are learning, but then they're teaching their parents, they're working with their parents.

So there's a ripple impact that goes both ways, forward and backward.

Talk about that piece of it for generational transformation.

- Generational transformation is so important and it is second and three gen, all working together.

So you can go to websites, like connect.ja.org, where no matter what age you are, you can use our tools to empower your family.

And we have to believe that no matter how old you are, you can teach the other.

So I learn from the children every day that we serve.

The children learn from us, we learn from the adults.

And if we could all go into this mindset that we all have something to teach one another, we can build these bright futures together.

- So we volunteered.

It's absolutely amazing.

We encourage everyone to be a part of what you're doing, but talk about the many ways the community can support your efforts.

- We will need 3,000 volunteers.

We will have used 3,000 volunteers just this program a year.

And as we start to get ready for the 2026, '27 school year, we know that need is gonna be more.

We ask you, don't expect children to live the lives you want them to have unless you're willing to jump in and show them how to get there.

Please go to the Junior Achievement website, click on that button at the very top corner, volunteer.

Be aware that all of our volunteers take background checks because it is important, the safety of a child.

They should know that the adults around them are cleared to be there.

And we need everybody in this community to participate.

- So where do we go to learn more to get involved?

You also have a podcast.

So where do we go to find all of this amazingness that you're putting out with Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South?

- Thank you so much for asking, and it's so easy.

Jamemphis.org, everything you need is right there.

And go to programs and click on learning hub and you're gonna find all of our seasons of World Ready Radio and our newest season of J.A.

Letters to Myself, Hometown Heroes.

- Well, Leigh, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thanks, Jeremy.

I appreciate the opportunity.

[upbeat music] - They're a membership of entrepreneurs dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

We're here with the executive director of the Society of Entrepreneurs, Pearson Crutcher.

And let's start out, give us some history for the Society of Entrepreneurs.

- Thank you so much, Jeremy.

I appreciate you having us.

I love the mission of your group, power the good.

And I feel like we're trying to accomplish the same thing.

The society was started in 1991 as a way to educate and encourage entrepreneurs.

We pick members from Memphis that have made a huge impact through their careers, philanthropy, giving back, being good corporate citizens.

And we recognize those people and then have programs to educate and encourage entrepreneurs.

- Give us a little background on how the membership is set up.

So how are entrepreneurs and members selected?

- They're nominated by their peers.

They're nominated by members of the society.

Occasionally somebody from just general public will recommend somebody, and then we look to see if there's an endorser within the organization.

But they have to have been in business for at least 10 years.

And they also, one of the most important things is that they have to give back.

If they don't give back within the community, then they're not eligible for membership.

We did just have a new induction class on April 18th, recent event where we inducted six new members, which is more than we usually do.

But we had two partnerships this year.

We inducted Kellan and Davin Bartosch from Wiseacre, Pace Cooper from Cooper Hotels, Barry Yoakum and Todd Walker from archimania and Chip Marston from the Marston Group.

So those are great examples of business owners that have been successful, but at the core of their being, it's giving back and being community minded.

- Carry that into the programmatic side, because when you talk about their experience and being able to pay that forward to mentor and educate the next generation of leaders, talk about the programmatic side for the Society of Entrepreneurs.

- So we have a series of programs.

One is the Entrepreneurs Round Table, open to anyone that owns a business.

There's no membership fee.

You just make reservations for the meetings that you think sound interesting.

We meet once a month and we do many of those in partnerships with other organizations, which we think is very important.

We do the What's Next series with Epicenter, where we have up and coming business owners speak.

And then we also work with the Small Business Council of the Chamber to have the Masterclass series where we have members speak about their experience.

And then we also have The Next Big Thing, which is an event that we do in November, that we do that also with Epicenter, where we have a pitch competition and there's a $10,000 cash prize.

Last year, we had 59 businesses apply and only five were selected.

So there's a huge need for that.

And we love to help people that are trying to be entrepreneurs, working as an entrepreneur so that they have the support and the guidance that they need.

- Talk about kind of that side of building community, because when you talk about the mentorship, the education, the programmatic side, everything that we're talking about, you're building an ecosystem, you're building a community of support, which I think is really powerful for the future leaders.

So talk about kind of that aspect of really growing and helping businesses scale, but through community.

- You know, I just did an impact report and Andy Malmo, who is one of the mentors to one of our insights group, has a great quote in it.

You can find our impact report on our website, which we'll talk about later.

But I think that the mentors get as much out of it as the mentees.

And I think that Andy talks about that a whole lot in his quotes in the Impact Report, because I think it is, it's a very like-minded group of people.

And I think that back in the beginning of the Society of Entrepreneurs, my father founded the organization in '91.

He had an alarm company and he would get together with some of his core group of friends, which were Fred Smith, Pete Wilmont, that group of friends, and they'd talk about what was working and what wasn't working in their business.

And they learned so much.

And they said that, you know, a lot of the times, just talking about their problem, they solved their own problem while they were thinking and talking through it with their friends.

But they realized how important that is and what a resource that is.

So I think that there's nothing more satisfying than being with a group of like-minded people and helping them, you know?

There's just a real, it feels good to help other people.

And why reinvent the wheel?

If you've made this mistake, share it, be honest.

I think David Woodell one time said something about opening his kimono, you know what I mean?

You're really gonna share what's going on in these meetings and I think, you know, you don't share without growing community.

- So how can the community help the Society of Entrepreneurs?

- Get involved.

There are so many ways.

Come to the round table meetings.

The round table meetings, we don't call them networking meetings because we want it, they are of course, networking meetings 'cause anytime you're with somebody and talking about your business, it's networking.

But we also don't want people to feel like they're going to the meeting and somebody's there to sell them something.

It's more, as we like to say, it's taking time.

You are working on your business, not in your business.

And it's very hard to do as an entrepreneur.

It's hard to take your take away, what you're working on right now to focus on the strategy and, you know, what's working, what's not working.

We talk about the good, the bad, the ugly in the meetings.

So I... think that community is very important.

- Well, wrap up with website.

Where can we go to learn more and get involved with the Society of Entrepreneurs?

- Our website is www.soememphis.com.

You don't even have to spell entrepreneurs, which is a good thing so that you can find us easily.

Also, we have a Facebook page, SOE Memphis, and we also have Instagram, LinkedIn.

All of our events are posted on that.

We would love for anybody to come.

I think the round table's a great way to kind of get your entry into that program so that then from the round table, we have people that are in the insights group and then hopefully future members of the Society of Entrepreneurs.

- Absolutely.

Well, Pearson, thank you for all you and your members do to power the good.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thanks for having me.

[upbeat music] - The SPARK Awards annually recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the community.

The 2025 corporate award for companies with 51 to 150 employees went to Ring Container Technologies.

- My name's Fred Geyer, and I'm an executive vice president at Ring, and the CFO at least for the next few months before I retire.

But if you don't know Ring, it's headquartered out in Oakland, Tennessee.

We manufacture plastic containers, and it was founded by a gentleman who's a native Memphian, Bob Ring, who set up the company almost 60 years ago, along with the gentleman by the name of Jim Gilliland, Sr.

The two of them invested to start this company that at the time, made metal cans for lard and fat for cooking food in restaurants.

And over time, that has morphed into a company which makes plastic containers, both for food service products, as well as retail food products.

We're headquartered, like I said, in Oakland.

That's part of Fayette County.

And so Ring has been involved with Fayette Cares for many, many years.

And I just think it's a really needed service in the Fayette community.

And we've just gotten behind it, both financially as well as giving employees an opportunity of contributing, whether it's volunteer time or sometimes we do food drives or clothes drives or that sort of thing.

But a lot of this all is driven by the leadership at the top.

Jim Gilliland really was instrumental in getting us involved in the Wolf River Conservancy, but our former CEO Ben Livingston, who's still a member of our board, also has an enormous philanthropic heart.

And so he got involved in certain things that he was passionate about, and just started kind of pulling the company in as well.

And two of those examples would include AngelStreet.

The mentoring program for young girls here in the Memphis community where they're trying to mentor young girls who have an interest in the performing arts and specifically in singing.

And so they come alongside them, give 'em opportunities to learn to sing, to perform in front of others, but also really invest in their lives mentoring wise, and Ben just really loved that mission, got behind it, and people from Ring started getting involved alongside him with that.

Ben's also a passionate golfer, so he was one of the founders of what's called Gurus of Golf, which a lot of people haven't heard about, but it's actually been a really successful fundraiser for Le Bonheur.

What we're trying to do is not only encourage people to participate in events like the Habitat for Humanity build we did this morning, but if there's something they're really passionate about, go ahead and do it.

It's just that type of mindset with the leadership that kind of becomes infectious for the rest of the organization.

[gentle music] - They're the economic development and growth engine for Memphis and Shelby County.

We're here with the President and CEO of EDGE Memphis.

We have our good friend, Dr.

Joann Massey.

She is also recently the Legacy Award winner with the SPARK Awards.

So congratulations.

Let's start out, give us some background on EDGE Memphis.

- Hello Jeremy, and all of your listeners.

I'm so excited to be here with you all.

We are EDGE, the Economic Development Growth Engine.

We serve the city of Memphis and the entire Shelby County as the lead economic development agency for strategic planning and management of the resources.

And so when we talk about resources, we're talking about everything from the Port of Memphis, foreign trade zone, small business support and incentives, and then those incentives that we all hear about all the time for large corporations, creating jobs, capital investment in our community.

We're a quasi-governmental agency, so we're kind of government, but we're outside of government, and we sit right here at 100 Peabody Place, which is what we call the headquarters for economic development.

- You mentioned things like small business loans and incentives.

Talk about those tools that you use to be able to focus on that economic development and growth.

- There are so many reasons why Tennessee is the best place to do business.

And of course right here in Memphis, we are geographically superior, not just because of FedEx, but so many reasons with our railroad, river and runway.

But all of those things lead to the type of tools that we have.

So we have tools like the payment in lieu of taxes, the PILOT abatement, that everybody hears about, but we also do bonds.

We do tax increment financing, which is basically just where developers invest, and then they get an increment on the increased assessment and they're able to reinvest those monies.

And then what is really true and dear to my heart is our small business loans.

They're forgivable loans that are up to $25,000 for facade improvements, meaning the areas outside of the business and those things that are permanent in structure, because like I said, we're looking for capital investment and growth for our community.

So those are place-based like tools.

We have served over 172 businesses in the program's history since 2017.

We have had a record number last year and we're hoping to break that record.

But everything from the EDGE District with Hard Times Deli, to Big Bills in Whitehaven, helping to give sit-down restaurant opportunities in that area around Graceland.

We're really, really excited for the work that we do that really just touches not just jobs, Jeremy, but people and places.

And that's the most important thing.

- How does all of that relate to Entrepreneurship City?

- Entrepreneurship City.

Well, Entrepreneurship City is just what Memphis is.

When you think about the history of Memphis and Piggly Wiggly, Holliday Inn and oh yeah, that little company that I mentioned called FedEx, all of those were founded by entrepreneurs.

But there's even a deeper rooted history here in Memphis with Robert R. Church, Sr., and being an entrepreneur himself and founding so many businesses, black-owned businesses here in our community.

Memphis is Entrepreneurship City.

So Entrepreneurship City is really a marketing initiative and a concept that is meant to really highlight and create an umbrella around those resources that support entrepreneurs from the ideation stage to the scaling.

Whether a business has been in business 30 years or it's just an idea, there are resources in our community that can support them.

And the great thing about Entrepreneurship City, which is how we do our work here at EDGE, is powering progress through partnerships.

We don't do it alone.

So organizations like Epicenter, Starco, the local chambers, our city government, I mentioned our state government, who we are side by side with working to help create entrepreneurs and support them in our community to grow.

So that's what Entrepreneurship City is about.

There is gonna be a lot of advertising around that.

And if you hadn't heard about it, just contact EDGE and we'll tell y'all about it.

- So how can the community support your efforts?

I think one is just better understanding EDGE and the complexities and all the tools you have and the power, the ripple impact you're creating in the community, but how can we support your efforts?

- Absolutely.

I mean, that is number one, understanding it.

You know, when we're talking about our city, the Chamber has a really great campaign, you know, talking about the positives of our city.

And again, I've mentioned rail, river, runway, and road, all the beauty.

But where the community can really help is shop local.

There are so many businesses from downtown to Whitehaven, Collierville, which I spend a lot of time in shopping, Bartlett, Germantown, and so forth, shop local.

Then there's the opportunity to tell someone, right?

Like, tell someone how great Memphis is.

Understanding those incentives, we have many, many business owners.

And so talking to those business owners, those corporations, those leaders in the community, from the nonprofit sector to the profit sector, talking about how we can all collaborate and invest.

And then for our entrepreneurs, I think the really most important thing is, know you're not alone.

Know that we want to help you grow.

We want to help you succeed.

Memphis is truly Entrepreneurship City and we never want anyone to forget that.

- So where do we go to learn more and get involved with EDGE?

- www.edgemem, like Memphis, .com is where you go for resources, upcoming events, and meetings.

- Well, Dr.

Joann Massey, thank you for all you and your amazing team do to power the good.

Thank you for your cityCURRENT partnership as well.

Thank you for coming on the show.

- Thank you.

[upbeat music] - On this month's episode, we've seen that building a thriving Memphis isn't about one moment.

It's about a continuum of support and access to opportunities.

It starts with exposure and helping our youth see what's possible.

When they see it, they can be it.

It then grows through connection and learning from those who've taken the journey before, and then it succeeds with support and creating the environment and conditions where businesses can scale, hire, and invest back into our community.

That's what start here, grow here really means.

It's not just a theme.

It's a call to action.

That's why the work being done by Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, the Society of Entrepreneurs and EDGE Memphis is so important.

Whether you're a student exploring your future, an entrepreneur looking for guidance, a business leader focused on scaling and growth, or someone who wants to invest time, talent, or resources into our city's growth, there's a place for you here in our community.

Learn more, get involved power the good, and be part of the momentum shaping Memphis' future, because the next spark is already out there and together, we can help it grow.

To learn more about each of the guests, to watch past episodes, and to share your stories of others leading by example, visit wkno.org and click on the link for The SPARK.

We look forward to seeing you next month, and we hope that you'll continue joining with us to create a spark for the Mid-South.

- From Higginbotham's founding in 1948, our insurance agency has been built on the values of customer service, leading with integrity and supporting our community.

We believe in promoting the positives, encouraging engagement, and leading by example to power the good.

Higginbotham Insurance and Financial Services is honored to be the presenting sponsor of The SPARK.

[upbeat music] [acoustic guitar chords]