Photo: Heather Craft, VSU Procurement Manager (front row, center in light blue top), and Antolina Pilgrim, VSU Financial Services Director (seated, far right), pose with local entrepreneurs at the Southern Georgia Black Chambers’ Small Business Academy session on “How to Do Business with VSU” at the McMullen Southside Library on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
VALDOSTA – The Southern Georgia Black Chambers and Valdosta State University partner to open contracting doors for local businesses.
Release:
The Southern Georgia Black Chambers (SGBC) hosted a pivotal Small Business Academy session Tuesday evening, providing local entrepreneurs with a direct roadmap on how to do business with Valdosta State University (VSU). The event, held at the McMullen Southside Library, featured VSU Procurement Manager Heather Craft, who demystified the university’s procurement process for area business owners.
The session was part of the SGBC’s Small Business Academy, a series designed to connect small business owners with resources and opportunities. SGBC President DeWayne Johnson highlighted the strong relationship with the university. “We always had a great partnership with VSU,” Johnson stated in his opening remarks. “They reached out and said, ‘Hey, we’d like to do one separately so that we can focus just on VSU,’ and I thought, ‘That’s a great idea.’”
Heather Craft provided attendees with invaluable information on navigating the state’s procurement system, from registering on the Georgia Procurement Registry to understanding insurance requirements and the critical importance of purchase orders. She emphasized VSU’s commitment to working with local and small businesses.
“I think one of the benefits of doing business with VSU is we’re a community partnership. We like to keep dollars here. It just helps everybody,” Craft explained.
Throughout the event, VSU Financial Services Director Antolina Pilgrim assisted attendees, ensuring they were added to a list for future opportunities. Business owners from various sectors, including event planning, data consulting, and catering, engaged in a robust Q&A session, leaving with clear steps to become VSU vendors.
The SGBC announced that its Small Business Academy will continue next week with a session on AI for Small Businesses. The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the McMullen Southside Library. This workshop is designed for SGBC members and any small business owner, entrepreneur, or professional who wants to learn how to leverage the power of AI to work smarter, not harder. No technical background is required—just an open mind and a desire to grow your business with AI.
The Southern Georgia Black Chambers is a dynamic organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of minority-owned businesses and the broader community in Southern Georgia. Through advocacy, education, and strategic partnerships, the SGBC provides resources and creates opportunities for businesses to connect, grow, and prosper.
