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Memphis Urban League seeks $150,000 from county to sustain BETA entrepreneurship program
Summary
At the Budget & Finance Committee meeting, Memphis Urban League CEO Gail Jones Carson sought $150,000 in county funding to sustain the 14‑week BETA Business Entrepreneurship Training Accelerator for early‑stage firms; a program graduate, Emma N. Dunn, described concrete business benefits she received from the training.
Gail Jones Carson, chief executive officer of the Memphis Urban League, appeared before the Shelby County Budget & Finance Committee on June 11 to ask the county to consider a $150,000 contribution to sustain the organization’s Business Entrepreneurship Training Accelerator (BETA).
Lede: The Urban League presented the BETA program as a 14‑week training course designed for companies in business 1–3 years; the program teaches finance, marketing, licensing and other business fundamentals and aims to position graduates to seek financing and grow employment.
Nut graf: The request comes as the program’s initial funder, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), cut support and the Urban League says it reduced its proposed budget by $100,000 and scaled elements back to a bare‑bones operation.
Program details and testimony
- Program description: Carson described BETA as a 14‑week accelerator for entrepreneurs who are typically 1–3 years into operation. Participants complete a three‑year business plan intended to be presented to financial institutions.
- Funding request and budget context: Carson said the Urban League cut $100,000 from a previous budget and is requesting $150,000 to sustain the program for the next year. TVA had previously funded the initiative but its support is uncertain.
- Participant testimony: Emma N. Dunn, who identified herself as CEO and founder of Bath & Body Bakery and a BETA alum, told commissioners the program taught her financial management, customer retention and licensing. “The lessons that I learned have I am in my 3 year mark. I'm actually 3 and a half years into my business now, which is a huge success,” Dunn said. She credited the program with helping her secure a grant from the Tennessee Titans and with improving how she explains her product to customers.
What the committee asked and next steps
Commissioners asked for a list of BETA graduates and companies that have gone through the program; Carson said she would provide that list to commissioners. The presentation was informational; no budget appropriation vote occurred during the subcommittee meeting. Carson asked the commission to consider the $150,000 request during the broader FY26 budget process.
Ending
The Urban League left commissioners with the pitch that BETA provides business skills that the organization says translate into employment and community economic benefits; staff said they would follow up to provide a roster of program graduates.
