Soror Tracey Newkirk’s emphasis on economic development and supporting entrepreneurship is making a tremendous impact on our local community. She is co-founder of Genesis Block & The Genesis Block Foundation, its non-profit entity. They sponsor an incubator initiative that partners with new business owners and offers support from ideas and concepts to securing successful contracts and opening businesses! Soror Tracey’s focus is on inclusive entrepreneurship while eliminating barriers & building networks and opportunities for business owners to gain information, & collaborate to grow and sustain successful businesses.
Soror Tracey Newkirk is leading innovative practices in minority business development, including Block Eatz Innovation Campus, a regional hub for testing new food products and operating a licensed shared-use kitchen commissary, projected to generate $6.5 million in revenue for local entrepreneurs. To support entrepreneurs with achieving success at the commercialization stage, Genesis Block sponsors quarterly events in its SmallBiz Spark Ecosystem including Conversations to Contracts, 40 Minority Business Certifications, Retail Pop Up Shop programs, and Regional Innovation Scorecard Reports to assist small businesses with comprehensive data to analyze the environment and its impact on their businesses.
Soror Tracey models how to leverage successful partnerships, as she works closely with the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce to transition the city’s Minority Economic Development Week into an event featuring numerous educational opportunities for local small business owners, & those who are interested in exploring entrepreneurship. She works diligently with UNC-Wilmington’s Cameron Business School and the Swain Center for Executive Education to ensure that local small business owners have cutting-edge knowledge regarding business growth and sustainability.
In addition, Soror Newkirk shares her passion for economic development with the Wilmington (NC) Alumnae Chapter by partnering with the chapter to serve at Minority Economic Development events held in our community. She is also focused on creating the next generation of entrepreneurs, offering her knowledge to participants in our GEMS program, by facilitating sessions on entrepreneurship, where participants in Genesis Block programming share their stories with our high schoolers and give them hands-on experiences and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to start and sustain a small business.
Genesis Block is expanding its reach beyond Wilmington to enhance entrepreneurship in the Jacksonville, NC area as well. Soror Tracey Newkirk’s quest to enhance enterprise and the success of local minority-owned businesses is worthy of national recognition.
