Students from the First Cohort of The College of Business Program Launch CSU Share Insights They Gained and Business Progress Made
(August 31, 2026) - Launch CSU is a two-year initiative from Clayton State University’s College of Business designed to engage a cohort of entrepreneurs through a structured program experience that includes interactive workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and hands-on consulting support from student teams. Participants gain practical knowledge, accountability, and access to a strong network of campus and community partners — helping them build sustainable businesses that create jobs, drive innovation, and contribute to local economic growth.
Jalen Teal-Williams, the Launch CSU program director, held the first workshop at the Innovation Center, which she also manages. The Launch CSU program features different guest speakers for each workshop. One meeting focuses on finances, including how to officially set up your business. It explains the difference between a Limited Liability Company (LLC), which is a legal business structure that protects your personal assets, and an S Corporation (S Corp), which is a tax status you can choose with the IRS.
Alexandra Johnson graduated in May from Clayton State with a Master's in Leadership Development and founded Johnson Leadership Development LLC. One session, Johnson, a member of the first cohort of Launch CSU, found very beneficial, she said, “focused on how to get government contracts with your business, including at the local level, state level, and then federal level. Specifically, it addressed how to write proposals and how to bid on contracts.” She added that “We also learned how to develop our brand and identify who we are and what our business stands for and the right kind of marketing strategy and best approach for customer acquisition for our type of business.”
Johnson revealed that participating in the program had a real impact on her business. She said, “The Launch CSU program was pivotal for me. It opened my eyes to government contracts, which led me to bid on my first government contract. Otherwise, I wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for Launch CSU, because I didn't even think that that was something that I was eligible for.”
Johnson describes the assignments that the Launch CSU participants worked on after attending the workshops. She said, “There was a workbook that we worked on throughout the entirety of the program. After each workshop, we were assigned certain page numbers to complete assignments, like one where we did a profit-versus-loss assessment to see how much it costs to run our business factoring in overhead. Then we reviewed how much we were charging and calculated what kind of margins we were getting. So that was very eye-opening.”
According to Johnson, “Teal-Williams, the program manager, set up bi-weekly check-ins that we would meet either on Teams or Slack, where she would have an open meeting if anyone had any questions. We also would use Slack as our main source of communication. Among all the participants, we would share resources in the chat. Someone would share that there's this free program for entrepreneurs. You guys should check it out.”
Jabinia Davender is currently an MBA candidate who started the program through the College of Business in the Fall of 2025 and is a member of the inaugural Launch CSU cohort. Davender says, “My business is HR consulting. I now own the Davender Group, and I've had over a decade of experience in HR consulting. I call myself the consultant's consultant. I work with other consultants to help with any HR needs they may have and to help them expand their clientele.”
Davender has learned tangible ways to strengthen her business by applying advice from industry experts. She said, “I incorporated the Davender Group LLC, which came from the accountability and guidance within the program. I also opened a business checking account, which I did not have prior to the Launch CSU program.”
Launch CSU has also brought into focus different ways to promote her business. Davender said, “I learned about the importance of social marketing and my business brand on the internet and specifically to be able to leverage social media as an avenue to gain more clients. I also learned about the elevator pitch and how to be able to present my business to other individuals and businesses in a brief, impactful way.”
This fall, entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Launch CSU program set goals for what they can accomplish in 90 days to improve their businesses. As far as her goals, Davender said, “I created my LinkedIn page to establish an online presence for my business, but for the next 90 days, one of the things I put on my goals list is to launch my own website. In addition to my consulting business, I am an author, so another goal is to book more speaking engagements to generate additional business income. I am also working on my second book.”