Paul Quinn College Receives $1.5M Grant To Expand Housing And Community Impact In Texas
Paul Quinn College has been awarded $1.5 million grant from the T.D. Jakes Foundation, in partnership with Wells Fargo, to fund a pioneering housing and mixed-use development project. This ambitious initiative will expand housing capacity at the Texas-based HBCU by an astounding 300% while creating a dynamic community hub for students, their families, and the surrounding Southern Dallas neighborhood.
“This is so much more than a traditional real estate project or campus housing development—it’s a statement about what higher education can be for all of us,” said Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College. “We are building a city within our campus walls. It will be a community that inspires, innovates, and invests in its people.”
The project, designed to address critical needs such as housing, food security, and transportation, will feature student and family housing, retail and restaurant spaces, parks, outdoor meeting areas, and classrooms. It will also serve the broader Highland Hills community and the schools located on the Paul Quinn campus, including KIPP Oak Cliff Academy and Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III Global Preparatory Academy, according to a release shared with ESSENCE.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation sees this initiative as a potential game-changer. “This $1.5 million grant will lay the groundwork for an innovative mixed-use development that not only provides essential services and resources but also strengthens the college’s long-term vision for community impact,” said Kelley Cornish, President and CEO of the foundation.
Paul Quinn College is also breaking new ground academically, partnering with Jakes Divinity School to launch its first-ever graduate program: the T.D. Jakes MBA. As the only accredited MBA offered by an HBCU in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, this program equips students with the skills needed for leadership roles in business and entrepreneurship.
These efforts are a part of Paul Quinn’s broader mission to eradicate generational poverty. “This is about creating opportunities and investing in people,” said Dr. Sorrell. “With partners like T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo, we’re taking bold steps to ensure our students and community thrive.”
DALLAS—November 22, 2024 — In a significant strategic move into the technology sector, T.D. Jakes Enterprises, (TDJE), a social impact holding company, announced the acquisition of Castiron, a leading e-commerce technology startup. This acquisition enables the launch of Nourysh. Powered by the Good Soil Movement, Nourysh is an innovative all-in-one e-commerce platform designed to empower underrepresented and under-resourced entrepreneurs nationwide.
With the support of a vibrant community of more than 27,000 Good Soil entrepreneurs, Nourysh provides access to marketplace resources just in time for the holidays—a bold move to provide affordable, all-in-one e-commerce solutions for the nation’s most overlooked entrepreneurs.
“Small businesses make America grow,” said T.D. Jakes, Chief Executive Officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises. “We know all too well that building your own business is difficult. To help simplify this for many small and underrepresented entrepreneurs across the country, we have created an all-in-one e-commerce platform to help small businesses across the country scale up and create the access needed to their products, further helping nourish the dreams of entrepreneurship.”
Castiron, renowned for its pioneering e-commerce solutions tailored for artisans and small-scale producers, brings advanced technological capabilities to Nourysh. The integration of Castiron’s technology allows Nourysh to offer features previously unattainable to many small businesses due to cost or complexity, leveling the playing field and fostering a more inclusive online marketplace.
Nourysh provides entrepreneurs with a comprehensive suite of tools, including:
• AI-powered analytics and personalized marketing tools that enable entrepreneurs to understand customer behavior deeply and optimize their outreach efforts effectively.
• Inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), email and SMS marketing, pre-built drip campaigns, and online and offline payment processing.
• User-friendly storefront creation and robust security measures, allowing seamless online store setup and management.
By leveraging state-of-the-art technology, Nourysh provides small businesses with advanced operating systems necessary to reach more customers in a substantially more cost-effective manner, disrupting the traditional e-commerce landscape dominated by platforms such as Amazon or Etsy. Nourysh offers competitive pricing and lower fees than many leading platforms, enabling entrepreneurs to reinvest savings back into their businesses.
“In today’s digital era, providing accessible technology solutions is crucial for equitable economic growth,” said Michael Phillips, Chief Operations Officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises. “Our mission with the Good Soil Movement is to empower one million businesses to reach at least $1 million in revenue on their entrepreneurial journey. By spearheading the acquisition and launching Nourysh, we’re not just offering a platform—we’re positioning TDJE at the forefront of tech innovation to empower entrepreneurs nationwide.”
Leah Whitten, owner of QTP Foods, is one of countless entrepreneurs who have leveraged Nourysh to transform their businesses. Initially lacking an online presence, she discovered Nourysh’s suite of tools after winning the Wells Fargo-sponsored capital seed pitch competition at the recent Good Soil Forum. The platform provided her with a digital storefront, marketing support, and inventory management. These resources empowered her to grow QTP Foods and reach a broader customer base—an opportunity now available to millions of business owners seeking to scale and thrive.
This acquisition is the first of several strategic moves as TDJE plans to invest in more tech startups that align with our mission to democratize access to advanced business tools. Looking ahead, TDJE intends to continue enhancing Nourysh with additional features and technologies to further support entrepreneurs in the digital marketplace.
As the country looks to bring together support for small businesses during Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, under-resourced and historically marginalized people are often excluded from the conversation. That’s precisely why the Good Soil Movement has quickly become the leading platform for small business empowerment.
Entrepreneurs interested in leveraging Nourysh can visit www.nourysh.com for more information. Investors and partners interested in collaborating with TDJE on future tech initiatives are invited to reach out through our corporate website.
About T.D. Jakes Enterprises
Part of the T.D. Jakes Group, T.D. Jakes Enterprises is a social impact holding company with an innovative portfolio steeped in content creation, cultural change, community development and capital investments. The mission is to create high impact content and opportunities that disrupt convention and culture. T.D. Jakes Enterprises includes work in television, film, books, mentorship, real estate, music and entrepreneurship. Visit https://tdjenterprises.com to learn more.
Texas based HBCU Paul Quinn College has received a generous $1.5 million grant from the T.D. Jakes Foundation along with Wells Fargo. With this donation, Paul Quinn will create innovative campus housing in addition to a mixed-use community development model.
With the goal of enhancing the campus and the surrounding community, the grant will start off with a dynamic campus housing initiative that will eventually be followed by a larger mixed-use development that includes parks, outdoor meeting spaces, student and family housing, retail and dining establishments, and classroom facilities. As Paul Quinn looks to accommodate its growing student body, this ground-breaking initiative will increase the school’s student housing capacity by 300 percent.
“This is so much more than a traditional real estate project or campus housing development—it’s a statement about what higher education can be for all of us—those who attend our schools and those who do not,” said Dr. Michael J. Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College. “We are building a city within our campus walls. It will be a community that inspires, innovates, and invests in its people. This will only be possible due to the vision of our partners at T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo. And for that, we are incredibly grateful.”
Prior to the partnership with the T.D. Jakes Foundation, Wells Fargo had a pre-existing relationship with Paul Quinn. The Wells Fargo Foundation donated $100,000 to support the establishment of scholarships for the school’s Corporate Work Program, which offers workforce opportunities that help students pay for their education while gaining the experience, habits, and skills they need to compete in the job market after graduation. The initiative is part of the school’s plan to end poverty across generations. To help provide accommodation for students who would not have access to it during the off-season, additional generous funds helped set up an emergency housing fund.
The school also has previous history with T.D. Jakes. Paul Quinn has been a partner of the Jakes Divinity School since 2023. This partnership created the T.D. Jakes Master of Business (MBA), which was the first graduate program in the school’s history and the only accredited MBA program of its kind at an HBCU in the Dallas-Forth Worth area.
In addition to this housing initiative, the T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo donated an additional $236,000 earlier this year to fund the Corporate Work Program and housing security funds.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A Dallas-based church is gearing up for another round of sending help to hurricane victims in two states.
A team of volunteers from the T.D. Jake’s United Mega-Care ministry just wrapped up a huge disaster relief delivery in Augusta, Georgia for people who were hit hard by Hurricane Helene.
Now, they are making plans to provide similar services to the victims of Hurricane Milton.
Tiffany Brinkley serves as the community impact director for United Mega-Care. She is responsible for coordinating the distribution of thousands of dollars of relief supplies.
Brinkley and her team left Dallas to help victims of the hurricane as part of the outreach of The Potter’s House Church.
“We are boots on the ground of wherever,” said Brinkley. “We may not be first responders, we just felt like because this hurricane happened two weeks ago, we saw there was still a need here in the southeast, in Augusta, Georgia and the surrounding area, we wanted to be able to serve this community, and a lot of them are just now getting their power restored.”
The volunteers helped distribute $250,000 in supplies to people in two states through United Mega-Care’s Georgia Distribution Site.
The relief effort includes critical supplies like food, water, toiletries and cleaning products.
The relief efforts are possible thanks to the United Mega-CARE being in partnership with Destiny Worship Center in Augusta, Georgia, and the Jeffrey Lampkin Foundation in Columbia, South Carolina.
Volunteers have spent the past few days distributing three truckloads of supplies including one 18-wheeler of water, and two 18-wheelers of pallets of non-perishable food, toiletry, hygiene kits and more. The supplies are available to storm victims on a walk-up basis.
“We had families here in line overnight just to get food and water,” said Brinkley. “Anyone coming into this community at this time is giving them hope. Outreach is a part of me. Even coming from Texas to be amid these wonderful families touches my heart. Plus, we want to do a great job representing our founder and pastor Bishop T. D. Jakes.”
The Potter’s House is a 30,000-member nondenominational, multicultural church and humanitarian organization led by Bishop T. D. Jakes with four locations that include Dallas, Fort Worth, L.A., and a Spanish language church in Casa de Fe. The church also has a huge online following known as E-members.
“We mobilized this giveaway in two days,” said Brinkley. “We want people to know that we will be also working to help those impacted by Hurricane Milton. We are already transporting relief supplies to Columbia to help at least a thousand families there. Hurricane season doesn’t end until November and we are going to help where we can and fill in that gap.”
Billed as the “ultimate girls getaway with Sarah Jakes Roberts + Friends,” there was a packed house at Arlington’s Globe Life Stadium for Day 1 of Woman Evolve Conference 2024.
Roberts, acclaimed author, speaker, and inspirational figure, delivered a riveting discourse captivating audiences with her profound insights on surrender, recycled faith, and overcoming grief.
During her powerful sermon, she encouraged attendees to embrace the concept of surrender, emphasizing the transformative power of relinquishing control and placing trust in a higher purpose. She delved into the essence of surrendering, highlighting how it can lead to personal growth, resilience, and a deeper connection with one’s faith.
Jakes’ presence at Woman Evolve Day 1 was nothing short of transformative, leaving a lasting impact on all those in attendance. Her compelling words, genuine spirit, and unwavering faith resonated deeply with the audience, igniting a sense of empowerment, reflection, and spiritual renewal.
As the event concluded, attendees departed with hearts full of inspiration, minds enriched with wisdom, and spirits lifted by the empowering message. Woman Evolve Day 1 set the stage for a journey of growth, self-discovery, and empowerment and tone for the next two days.
To find out more about the schedule of events or to register for the rest of the conference, go to www.womanevolveconference.com.
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – InspireNOLA Charter Schools, in partnership with Rock of Ages Baptist Church, is proud to announce the kickoff event of its NOLALove Celebration of Inspiration, Love, and Advocacy. This event series aims to bring the youth and community together through a shared commitment to education and empowerment.
The first event will take place on Sept. 6 at Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center and will set the tone for a series designed to inspire and uplift the New Orleans youth. Bishop T.D. Jakes, known for his powerful messages of faith, resilience, and community building, will participate in a fireside chat along with Pastor Jonathan Everett of Rock of Ages Baptist Church along with other impactful and powerful speakers, performances and panel discussions.
Event Details:
Location: Xavier University of Louisiana Convocation Center,
7900 Stroelitz St, New Orleans, LA 70125
Date: Sept. 6
Time: 10 a.m.
“We are thrilled to partner with Rock of Ages Baptist Church to bring the NOLALove Series to life,” said Jamar McKneely, CEO of InspireNOLA Charter Schools. “This collaboration reflects our shared values of education, empowerment, and community support. Having Bishop T.D. Jakes joining us for this kickoff event is truly an honor and an inspiration for all.”
“In a time marked by growing uncertainty both in our city and beyond, this event is not only necessary but profoundly meaningful for our communities, particularly for our children and their parents,” said Pastor Jonathan Everett, Rock of Ages Baptist Church. “I am both honored and excited to be a partner in this pivotal moment for our city. It is a true privilege to witness the far-reaching positive impact that bridges the classroom and the pews, transforming lives and strengthening our community.”
Later that evening, Rock of Ages Baptist Church will host “Fresh Fire Revival” featuring T.D. Jakes as the guest speaker.
Event Details:
Event: Fresh Fire Revival
Date: Sept. 6
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: 2515 Franklin Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117
Enterprise Community Partners announced that it is expanding its Faith-Based Development Initiative (FBDI) to Texas.
With a $1 million grant from T.D. Jakes Foundation and Wells Fargo, the national nonprofit is aiming to help spur the creation of more than 800 affordable homes on land owned by houses of worship in Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
“Across the country, houses of worship own tens of thousands of acres of vacant or underutilized land. As costs for land and housing skyrocket around the nation, Enterprise’s FBDI empowers these community organizations to further serve their communities by creating affordable housing,” said David Bowers, vice president, Mid-Atlantic market, and senior adviser of FBDI. “This initiative is a beacon of hope, offering practical solutions to address the critical need for affordable homes.”
FBDI is credited with creating or preserving more than 1,600 affordable homes, with another 27,000 units in the pipeline, in the Mid-Atlantic since its inception in 2006.
As the program moves into Texas, it will provide financial support and technical resources to faith-based organizations that are considering using vacant or underdeveloped land to build affordable homes and community facilities.
Participants will have access to:
· Grants and capital: Funding to conduct a market study and feasibility analysis for their vision, pre-development support, and access to Enterprise’s capital products;
· Training: Virtual and in-person trainings using Enterprise’s curriculum to help houses of worship understand the ins and outs of the development process;
· Technical assistance and coaching: One-on-one technical assistance provided by development consultants and Enterprise staff to navigate the development process, as well as coaching from clergy who have previously completed projects;
· Access to industry professionals: Information on development professionals, such as architects, accountants, real estate lawyers, and developers; and
· Peer-to-peer learning: Geographic cohorts of faith-based organizations will network and learn from one another as they go through the process of housing development, and a national virtual summit will bring faith leaders from across the country together.
The community is invited to participate in a panel discussion in Fort Worth on Tuesday, June 25, to discuss public safety concerns.
The Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP and the Fort Worth Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity are hosting the event.
Organizers said it will be a safe space to discuss community safety issues and work toward solutions. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Potters House Fort Worth.
PEARL, Miss., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On Saturday, June 15, 2024, ten small business owners from across the country took to the AT&T Performing Arts Center stage hoping to be announced the grand prize winner of the 2024 Good Soil Forum Seed Capital Pitch Competition. But only one of the ten finalists, Ameka Coleman, founder and CEO of Strands of Faith walked away with the $200,000 grand prize.
“I was completely overcome with gratitude and joy,” Coleman says about the moment her company was announced. “It felt like a huge affirmation of our work. And the cash prize is significant enough to really move the needle for the company,” Coleman states.
The seed capital pitch competition, co-presented by T.D. Jakes Enterprises, Wells Fargo and the Stand Together Foundation, is one of the most generous pitch competitions in the country, awarding a total of $500,000 in cash prizes at one time– and there is no equity stake or repayment.
The pitch competition included a rigorous, multi-layered application process that Coleman began on May 15, 2024. Coleman completed a business plan, prepared a pitch deck, and produced a short video to make it to the top 10 finalists in early June. Once on-site in Dallas, Coleman delivered a live pitch with Q&A before a panel of expert judges.
During her pitch, Coleman shared statistics that amplify the challenges many women face. “Women with textured hair are 2x as likely to face discrimination and microaggressions because of their hair, and that often affects one’s self-esteem,” says Coleman. “I believe all hair textures should be celebrated and that’s why I decided to build a brand to enrich women– hair and soul.”
The day Coleman began the pitch competition application process, she shared on Instagram that she had faith that she would come out a winner. Fortunately for Ameka, her faith did not fail. “I believe in the law of sowing and reaping. I give customers a mustard seed with each product order to encourage them to ‘keep the faith.’ Right now, it feels like those seeds are returning as a harvest,” Coleman affirms.
By faith and hard work over the last six years, Coleman has scaled Strands of Faith to a multi-million dollar brand without any outside investment. In May 2023, Strands of Faith landed an exclusive contract with Premier Inc, one of the nation’s leading hospital suppliers, to supply hair products within its network of 4,400 hospitals nationwide.
Coleman’s business prowess has also garnered her recognition at the national level. In March 2024, Ameka was appointed by the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets to serve a four-year term on the Mississippi District Export Council.
As for how Coleman will utilize the proceeds from her win, the grant will enable Coleman to fund two key hires to liaise with hospitals and beauty supply stores and invest in marketing. “Right now, I serve in all the roles– CEO, CMO, R&D, COO, CFO, and business development. I’ve bootstrapped my way to where we are, but it’s time to go to the next level,” declares Coleman. “This funding will help us to scale, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.”
About Strands of Faith
Strands of Faith (SOF) is a clean beauty brand dedicated to nourishing and revitalizing textured hair with cruelty-free, non-toxic ingredients that provide moisture for up to seven days. SOF was founded in 2018 by Ameka Coleman out of her struggle to find products that could maintain moisture for longer than a day. A trained scientist, Ameka leaned on her background in microbiology and clinical research to develop a moisturizing formula free of sulfates, silicones, parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, and paraffin. Now a multi-million company, Strands of Faith has been listed as one of the top 6 brands to buy in People Magazine and listed in “40 Founders Of Black-Owned Hair Care Brands You Should Know About” in ESSENCE Magazine. In May 2023, SOF landed a contract with Premier Inc, to supply hair care products to over 4,400 hospitals nationwide and on June 15, 2024, Strands of Faith was announced as the $200,000 grand prize winner of the Good Soil Seed Capital Pitch Competition. Strands of Faith is on a Mission to bring joy to textured hair while elevating faith within. To learn more, visit: www.StrandsofFaith.com.
DALLAS, May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — T.D. Jakes Enterprises, a social impact company, announced that it is providing small businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to compete for grants totaling $500,000 during its 2nd Annual Seed Capital Pitch Competition for which Wells Fargo is the presenting sponsor. The Shark Tank-style competition, part of The Good Soil Forum event taking place in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center June 13-15, supports minority entrepreneurs by enhancing their skills in crafting investable business plans and impactful pitches.
“This competition is more than just a platform for pitching business ideas—it’s a catalyst for change and a powerful vehicle for empowering underserved entrepreneurs,” said Michael Phillips, Chief Operating Officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises. “We encourage minority small business owners and entrepreneurs to seize this moment to compete for a share of the $500,000 prize pool, with a $200,000 grand prize. This is a transformative opportunity to drive economic mobility and create generational wealth for communities.”
“We know that small businesses and entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economic ecosystem and supporting their growth is more critical now more than ever,” said Michael Martino, head of Consumer, Small and Business Banking, Diverse Customer Segments, at Wells Fargo. “Wells Fargo is excited to partner with T.D. Jakes Enterprises to accelerate access to capital for small businesses, especially Black and African American entrepreneurs and other minority-owned businesses.”
In 2023, Good Soil awarded $250,000 in grants during the first annual Seed Capital Pitch Competition.
The competition will culminate in the awarding of seed grants to the top entrants, with the first-place winner receiving $200,000 and mentorship from a leading business leader. Other awards include a $100,000 grant for the second place winner, a $75,000 grant for the third place winner, a $75,000 Host grant for the best entry from Dallas, and a $50,000 grant for the most improved participant. Judges will evaluate submissions based on the business plan readiness, results to date, ability to demonstrate how the plan will be utilized for business growth, and the quality of presentation.
Prior to the competition, Chairman T.D. Jakes will continue to host a series live sessions with special guests to discuss entrepreneurship as well as the impacts and demands of growing and scaling a business. Recent special guests include, Wallstreet Trapper, B. Michelle Williams and more found here and here.
Good Soil is dedicated to helping one million entrepreneurs generate $1 million dollars in revenue over the next ten years by providing networking and solutions for growing and scaling businesses. The inaugural Good Soil event held in Orlando last year brought more than 2,500 entrepreneurs together and organically had about 5,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs during that time join the Good Soil network. Currently the Good Soil app has more than 20,000 members and is continuing to grow by providing tangible things that are helping entrepreneurs grow. Wells Fargo and Stand Together Foundation, are co-presenting partners of this year’s event.
Good Soil Forum will feature educational fireside chats, breakout sessions and hands-on workshops in which business leaders can learn and participate in key conversations on a variety of topics from business planning and marketing strategies to financial management and leadership development, equipping them with practical skills and knowledge to elevate their business. The Good Soil Forum will also feature a vibrant marketplace with a diverse array of vendors, from tech startups to artisanal craftspeople, a unique opportunity to network, discover new products and services, and gain inspiration for attendees’ entrepreneurial ventures.
For more information on the 2024 Good Soil Forum, speakers and registration visit: https://www.prekindle.com/event/23773-good-soil-2024-dallas
About Good Soil
Good Soil is a project of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, LLC and a mission to connect entrepreneurs to opportunities in an effort to increase and maintain generational wealth and economic health in our communities. Here, every conversation plants a seed for growth, making every moment an opportunity to bloom into the next phase of small businesses. Learn more about the mission to increase generational wealth and employment by supporting and nurturing under-resourced entrepreneurs by visiting https://www.goodsoilforum.com/
