Three Cities, One Night - Driving America’s Economy Forward

On Monday, June 7, Goldman Sachs celebrated more than 300 graduates of 10,000 Small Businesses in Baltimore, Cleveland and Dallas.

To mark this milestone, Goldman Sachs leaders including David Solomon, John Rogers, John Waldron, Asahi Pompey, Stephen Scherr and Stephanie Cohen traveled to all three cities to celebrate the graduates at drive-in movie theaters across the country: Cleveland’s Aut-O-Rama, Baltimore’s Bengies Drive-in and Dallas’ Coyote Drive-in.

“Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is an investment to help entrepreneurs create economic opportunity and catalyze job creation. Over the last several months, we were fortunate enough to learn with and from America’s tenacious small business owners,” David said. “We celebrate their hard work, grit, and motivation to become even stronger leaders in their communities and better business owners. We can’t wait to see what they do next.” 

In each city, the events recognized 10,000 Small Businesses graduates and included local partners and elected officials. 

“Our impact in the cities and communities in which we operate cannot be denied,” said Asahi Pompey, global head of Corporate Engagement. “Our program has empowered more than 11,400 entrepreneurs to take business growth into their own hands, to create jobs, innovate -- which will be evermore important for a sustained recovery.”  

In conjunction with the graduation, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses published its latest research report, The Fundamental Economy, highlighting the survey results of more than 2,500 program participants that show what small businesses need to ensure a full and inclusive economic recovery. Key findings reveal that most graduates of the program are optimistic about the economy, pivoting is key to survival, and that challenges still exist when it comes to finding the right talent and gaining access to capital.
 


Learn more about The Fundamental Economy—our latest survey of the 10,000 Small Businesses alumni community.