3 Milwaukee-Based Small Business Owners Complete Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Class

MILWAUKEE - Feb. 7, 2017 - PRLog -- Three business owners from the greater Milwaukee area have graduated from the Babson Cohort of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, a national program created to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity for their communities.

Among the local graduates were Management Decisions, Inc. owner, Lesa Bunce, Keystone Travel Services & Arthur Smith's/Farmers Insurance Agency owner, Arthur Smith, and owner of Keystone Click, Lori Highby.

Together, these graduates completed a blended online and face-to-face program that delivers intensive entrepreneurship training and practical training from Babson's business experts and peers, alongside 148 other entrepreneurs from across the nation.

"We're proud of our graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative. These entrepreneurs put forth incredible effort to complete this program and we are confident their efforts will continue in growing their businesses. We are excited to watch their many successes," said Kerry Healey, President of Babson College.

Babson has helped train over 250 faculty and staff who deliver the program primarily at community colleges throughout the United States, as well as through the national blended learning program at Babson College. The program is designed to nurture growth for businesses that are at least two years old with at least four employees. The small businesses in this group represent a total of $247M in revenues and over 3,000 jobs from a broad range of industries.

"The program is designed to be highly participative, focusing on peer and experiential types of learning - just Babson's style," said Babson Professor Patricia Greene, National Academic Director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and 10,000 Women. "These business owners represent the best of the U.S. economy, growing their businesses, including creating new jobs, in order to continue to strengthen our communities.

Starting in September, for 11 weeks, these small business owners connected with peers and worked together through practical business education. When asked about their experience, each owner had something unique to say:

Owner of Keystone Click, Lori Highby, said, "Attending the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program was extremely beneficial from a number of different angles.  First, I was able to connect and meet 150 business owners from across the country.  Second, the education was far beyond my expectations as I was able to learn from top rated professionals.  Third, this is an experience that will have lifelong results with my professional career."

Owner of Management Decisions, Inc., Lesa Bruce, said, "attending the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program is a priceless investment in my business that will pay dividends for many, many years to come. Taking steps to incorporate the strategic tactics, best practices and emerging thinking that I learned from the mentors, as well as through collaboration with other entrepreneurs, has energized and prepared me to grow my business and create new hiring opportunities."

Owner of Keystone Travel Services & Arthur Smith's/Famers Insurance Agency, Arthur Smith, said, "The Goldman Sachs 10k Small Businesses Program/Course as taught at Babson College is game changer; every small business owner in Wisconsin should seek to enroll in this course it will help you take your business acumen as well as your business results to the next level.

Over the next five years Keystone Travel Services & Arthur Smith's/Farmers Insurance Agency will drive an intense effort to increase our revenue growth by 15% year over year, through year ending 2022!  Our staffs as well as our Stakeholders are very excited about our growth opportunities!"

About Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that greater access to this combination of education, capital and support services best addresses barriers to growth for small businesses. 10,000 Small Businesses is guided by an Advisory Council on which Babson President Kerry Healey serves and is co-chaired by Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, Bloomberg L.P. founder, president and CEO, and 108^th Mayor of the City of New York Michael R. Bloomberg, Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, and  the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City's Dr. Michael Porter.  The National Urban League and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are also represented on the Advisory Council, among other groups.

To apply for the 10,000 Small Businesses business and management education program, please visit www.10KSBapply.com.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds^®. The to​p​-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action^®​ as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

About Keystone Click

Keystone Click has helped businesses navigate the complexities of digital marketing since 2008. Using a proven process that builds brand awareness and drives customer engagement, we strive to generate a high return on investment for businesses.

About Management Decisions, Inc.

Management Decisions, Inc. has called Milwaukee, WI home since 1952 when we established ourselves as the first market research company in the area. We are a full service provider of professional services, specializing in gathering opinions through surveys that empower businesses to make informed actionable decisions.