Gregory Grant - City of Jacksonville Small & Emerging Business Administrator - Office of Equal Business Opportunity

Small businesses are generally defined by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) as independent businesses having fewer than 500 employees. Based on SBA's definition, there are 33.2 million small businesses in America, which account for 99.9% of all U.S. firms.  

Small businesses are credited with just under two-thirds (63%) of the new jobs created from 1995 to 2021 or 17.3 million new jobs. Small businesses represent 97.3% of all exporters and 32.6% of known export value ($413.3 billion). They also employ almost half (46%) of America's private sector workforce and represent 43.5% of gross domestic product. By almost any measure, small businesses are a vital part of the American economy and workforce. 

In the City of Jacksonville, FL they understand the value that small business represents to the community and the city government is looking to support these entrepreneurs in as many ways as they can.  My guest this week is the Administrator of the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Small & Emerging Business department for the City of Jacksonville - Gregory Grant.  Gregory is applying his own entrepreneurial experience and that as a professional educator at the collegiate level now in support of those very business owners that call Jacksonville home.