VALDOSTA – The Community Xccelerator program kicks off its inaugural class of participants later this month and is welcoming its final surge of registrations from the local area of aspiring individuals, young professionals, high school graduates, airmen/spouses from Moody Air Force Base, and others with a drive for success according to organizers.

The Community Xccelerator is an empowerment program that provides participants access to 20-sessions that bridge subject matter experts within the Valdosta-Lowndes community. Each participant graduates from the program with new connections, financial empowerment, proven business guidance, and a greater ability to influence his or her community.

“The Community Xccelerator is a unique approach to an old concern in our area, and this team is committed to being an active piece of the solution,” added Johnson. “The Community Xccelerator will serve as an influential program and a driver for uniting knowledgeable resources with eager community residents and students.” 

The Community Xccelerator is a program initiated by the H. DeWayne & Amanda Johnson BridgeBuilder Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Community Xccelerator is developed to connect, inspire, and empower local residents and collegiate students by exposing enrolled individuals to proven strategies for goal execution, financial and wealth empowerment, business development, and personal improvement.

Recent Valdosta State University graduate and young professional at South Georgia Medical Center, Jasmine Miles, did not hesitate to sign up for the Community Xccelerator during early enrollment. 

“One of the aspects that stood out to me during the interest meeting was having the ability to connect the dots, from graduating from Valdosta State University to going into the workforce, and having that gray area. The Community Xccelerator will give me a chance not only to understand financial freedom but investing and networking with community officials,” said Miles.

Program sessions focus on themes of empowering individuals to pursue their passions, quality of life, and impact goals while building a stronger community of resources and value.

According to organizers, there are no application requirements to participate in the program. 

“Although nominations are welcomed from local businesses in Valdosta, we did not want participants to then be eliminated if they genuinely have the drive to learn the information the program is offering. The goal of the Community Xccelerator is to strengthen the community by empowering those that enroll with a rarely taught knowledge base and core path for accelerating their success,” reported DeWayne Johnson, Program Director.

Each Community Xccelerator session included insight and workshops for the enrolled participants from experts and professionals related to the topic of the session.

Headlining the first session and topic of the program (Goal Execution and Grit) will be special guest Chief Brian Boutwell, from the City of Valdosta Fire Department, and Lynne Brown, an Executive Director with The John Maxwell Team, which is a group of Maxwell-Certified coaches, trainers, speakers and professionals, offering workshops, seminars, keynote speaking, and coaching to aid in personal and professional growth worldwide. 

The 20 sessions of the program are grouped into four themed segments:

• Accelerated Results
• Financial Empowerment
• Breakout Business
• Intentional Visibility

“The Financial Empowerment and Breakout Business segments are what caught my attention,” stated Lauren Hurley, who is the Girls On The Run South Georgia Council Director and has recently enrolled in the Community Xccelerator.

Johnson reached out to Girls On The Run South Georgia to see if anyone in the organization was interested and piqued the interest of Hurley during an Xccelerator interest meeting.

“I’m in the process of learning, and I would really like to be led by people who are experts,” mentioned Hurley. 

Once the program begins, participants attend bi-weekly scheduled sessions at the Willis L. Miller Library. Sessions take place in the state-of-the-art Community Hall meeting rooms of the library beginning at 5:30 pm, where enrollees learn from local and regional subject matter experts related to the program segments.

Since all 20 sessions are being catered by Chick-Fil-A Valdosta Mall, sponsorship opportunities for the program are welcome. According to Johnson, “Our early sponsoring partners including CJB Industries and Miller Hardware, who have both expressed that they are passionate about strengthening the community’s knowledge base and increasing the base of empowered citizens. We are welcoming additional champions of the Community Xccelerator program.”

Individuals that wish to sign up before the deadline and reserve their spot, may enroll online at www.bridgebuilderinvestments.com/xccelerator. The registration deadline is Friday, Aug. 9.

As Hurley added, “It’s really good to have someone you trust to give you sound advice.”

For more information, contact Program Director DeWayne Johnson, (229) 588-0866, or email, info.cx@iamabridgebuilder.us.