Minority and women owned firms face unique growth challenges. To address these obstacles, in 2005 the NC Institute of Minority Economic Development (the Institute) implemented the Minority Executive Education Institute (MEEI), a program that equips business owners with the skills they need to take their businesses to the next level.

MEEI delivers a comprehensive and robust graduate-level business education based on proven best practices and research. MEEI programming utilizes the talents of graduate-level professors from universities across the state and leading business experts, creating a powerful learning experience that gives minority and women business owners concrete knowledge that can be used to grow revenue, enter into new markets, or launch new product ideas.

Here is what business executives had to say about MEEI:

“This was the best thing that could have happened to me to help make our business grow!”

“Thank you for caring enough about the DBE/WBE to give us the tools and resources to take it to the next level!”

“I feel like I was just through the wringer—hung out to dry—then fluffed up, polished, and set out to conquer the world!” 

MEEI programming is empowering minority and women business owners to burst into the marketplace with confidence.

To date, MEEI programming has been delivered to 80 firms on three major campuses, including the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Wake Forest Babcock Graduate School of Management, and the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®), a world renowned center that offers an exclusive focus on leadership education and research.

The Institute is committed to growing firms at all stages of development. As the Institute has matured over the last twenty two years, it has seen minority businesses grow in size and number. To that end, MEEI represents the next level of service to positively impact the future of the minority business landscape across the state and the region.