Academy Entrepreneurs Master the Infrastructure of Capital in Session 2

Tommie Beth Willis, Regional Director for ACE South Georgia, delivers high-intensity instruction on the '5 C's of Credit' during Session 2 of the 2026 Small Business Academy. As the Phase 2 lead, Willis is guiding entrepreneurs through the technical shift from 'asking for capital' to 'presenting bankable opportunities' at Valdosta State University. (photo credit: Southern Georgia Black Chambers)

VALDOSTA, GA – The Southern Georgia Black Chambers (SGBC), in partnership with Georgia Power and Valdosta State University, moved into the "Engine Room" of business growth during Session 2 of the 2026 Small Business Academy: The Year of Execution.

Led by Tommie Beth Willis, Regional Director of ACE (Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs) South Georgia, the session transitioned participants from foundational compliance to the high-stakes world of Capital Readiness & Bankability. Willis, representing the largest small-business focused Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Georgia, delivered an intensive curriculum focused on shifting the entrepreneurial mindset from a "request for funding" to a "presentation of opportunity."

Technical Mastery: The 5 C’s and the Debt Schedule Participants engaged in a deep dive into the "5 C’s of Credit"—Character, Capacity, Capital, Collateral, and Conditions—learning exactly how lenders audit risk. Moving beyond theory, the session utilized the Academy's "Fingertips-to-Keyboards" model, where entrepreneurs worked alongside VSU Student Analysts to build two critical financial assets in real-time:

1. The Business Debt Schedule: A comprehensive audit of all existing liabilities, allowing business owners to calculate their own Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR).

2. The Personal Financial Statement (PFS): A standardized snapshot of individual net worth, a non-negotiable requirement for institutional lending.

"Execution is about infrastructure," said DeWayne Johnson, President/CEO of the SGBC. "Our participants learned tonight that a lender doesn't fund a dream; they fund a ledger. By mastering their debt schedules and personal financial statements, these entrepreneurs are building the bankable evidence required to secure six and seven-figure growth."

The CDFI Advantage The curriculum highlighted the unique "Triad of Support" offered by CDFIs: Capital, Coaching, and Connections. Unlike traditional transactional lending, the Academy’s partnership with ACE ensures that participants receive pre- and post-loan mentoring to sustain their growth.

As the cohort prepares for next week’s Financial Infrastructure lab, they leave Session 2 with a rigorous documentation checklist, including the requirement for two years of tax returns, year-to-date Profit & Loss statements, and Balance Sheets. This level of preparation is a prerequisite for the $2,500 Georgia Power Master Grant, which will be awarded based on technical excellence and a consistent 80% attendance rate.

For more information on the 2026 Small Business Academy and its technical curriculum, visit www.sgablackchambers.org/academy.