Atlanta nonprofit honors innovative entrepreneurs with disabilities – WABE
Synergies Work presented the second annual EDDIE Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to five different companies.
The Atlanta nonprofit supporting entrepreneurs with disabilities hosted the celebration to highlight innovative businesses within the community, such as a dating app for disabled and chronically ill people and a travel company for wheelchair users. During the event, five business owners received awards.
Malik Wilson, or Question ATL, is a blind artist and rapper. He performed at the ceremony.
“It’s very inspiring to be here and see so many people with different disabilities and diversity displaying competence and confidence,” said Wilson.
Malik Wilson, or Question ATL, is a blind artist and rapper. He performed at the ceremony with the help of his mom and an ASL interpreter. (Marlon Hyde/WABE)
In Georgia, over 2 million people have a disability, according to the CDC. Nationally, the number is 61 million.
According to the National Disability Institute, people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty. For Wilson, running a business is not only a way to make money but a way to help others.
“Synergies Work has been very inspirational to me. It has shown me how many different entrepreneurs there are in the disabled space and that there is a huge fellowship of people willing to lend advice, kindness and appreciation,” said Wilson.
Aarthi Saghal is the founder of Synergies Work.
“We wanted to honor the entrepreneurs; we wanted to show the community how much talent exists in the disability space and how easy it is for us to overlook people because of our ableist point of view,” said Saghal.
Synergies is based in Atlanta, and it has a family-like network of disabled innovators looking to make their dreams a reality.
The nonprofit organization recently received a $100,000 grant from Care Source to help fund its network of entrepreneurs.
“[Aarthi] has given us a platform we would not have had,” said Lamont McLeod, Agape Family Health Care Services owner.
Saghal says Synergies will use the money to provide loans to disability-led businesses to bridge the access gap to funding.
“The crux of our Synergies Work is bringing the disability and business communities together. So yes, we need money. We need resources to support entrepreneurs,” said Saghal.
