Transforming Pain Into Purpose With Hakeem Croom

In this inspiring episode, Hakeem Croom shares how he rose above the struggles of his Harlem upbringing—marked by poverty, addiction, and instability. Guided by the discipline of basketball and a transformative experience at Military School, Hakeem went on to become an educator, life coach, author, and speaker. His story is a powerful testament to perseverance, personal growth, and the will to rise after being knocked down.

Global Entrepreneurship Congress

The Global Entrepreneurship Congress is the only place where founders at all stages of development and policymakers, investors and support organizations from all economies are in the same room. Together, we will collaborate to bring ideas to life, driving economic growth and expanding human welfare. This years theme is The Bold Change the World. Join us and thousands of voices from 200 countries in Indianapolis June 2-5!

Lessons in Economic Recovery from Small-Town America

Around 100,000 businesses shut their doors in 2020. Two-thirds of small business owners say it was their most difficult year in business.

Now that the worst of the COVID pandemic is behind us, organizations like the bipartisan Economic Innovation Group are watching closely for signs of how the recovery will play out. In their recent analysis of U.S. Census Small Business Pulse Survey data, EIG found that more than a third of businesses anticipate slow going. They don’t expect to return to their normal level of operations for at least six months.

The EIG analysis found that larger states like New York, California, and Texas had the most negative impacts during 2020. They are still feeling the most economic distress, while largely rural states in the South, Midwest, and Western interior were spared the worst of the downturn.