Slutty Vegan’s very own Pinky Cole Hayes is giving back to Savannah State graduates in a big way., offering them a $8.75 million “Entrepreneurial Starter Pack.”
Cole Hayes announced the sizable gift to the class of 2024 as this year’s commencement speaker. Each graduate will receive $25,000 worth of entrepreneurial resources. The restauranteur partnered with Operation Hope and One Million Black Businesses (1MBB) to do so.
Each new alum of Savannah State will receive a membership to 1MBB for financial guidance, small business and money management training courses, and a 3-month Shopify subscription.
“I am passionate about lifting up the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs of our world. I know firsthand what it means to have mentorship and how someone believing in your dream can make a difference,” Cole Hayes said in a statement. “This graduating class has experienced so much adversity. Their college years began with a global pandemic and they have had to navigate their lives through unprecedented events. Through it all, they have thrived and are ready to enter the ‘real world’ with more experience and the confidence to face life’s new challenges. I believe in these graduates, and I hope that this gift will help them as they transition into this next phase of their lives.”
Cole Hayes is known for her vegan delicacies and philanthropic endeavors, also supporting Clark Atlanta University’s class of 2022 on their business journeys. More recently, she sponsored the prom for Atlanta’s Benjamin E. Mays High School for all to attend for free.
Following these measures, her collaboration with Operation Hope and 1MBB will grant aspiring Black entrepreneurs greater opportunities to thrive. Moreover, John Hope Bryant, founder of Operation Hope, praised Cole Hayes for her continued dedication to her community.
“Pinky Cole Hayes is a living example of what happens when a brilliant idea meets opportunity,” Hope Bryant said. “With 1MBB, we want to offer opportunities to as many brilliant ideas as we can reach and are excited to partner with Pinky to help lift up the next generation of Black entrepreneurial excellence.”
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