Empowering Entrepreneurs at Go! International

Business is the lifeblood of every neighborhood, city, state, and country. It is also a key to helping people lift themselves out of poverty. At Go! International, we believe that sustaining oneself means more than acquiring skills for better-paying jobs. It involves training entrepreneurs to build socially responsible businesses that provide essential products and services to their communities and create jobs for their fellow citizens.

Our Approach to Entrepreneurship

Supporting Business Ecosystems
We teach our students how their businesses can support other businesses at all levels. Our entrepreneur students learn to:
- Raise their own capital.
- Invest in other businesses.
- Diversify their portfolios to mitigate personal financial risk.

Success Stories from East St. Louis

Student-Run Businesses
Our entrepreneurship class in East St. Louis runs three businesses, each managed by a student board of directors. These boards decide how to use the profits, whether to:
- Invest in their skill development to gain specialized knowledge.
- Grow an existing business.
- Invest in a new venture.

Business Ventures and Growth

- Jewelry Business: Funded initially by profits from their healthy snacks shop, students have expanded this business by importing products from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Senegal, Gambia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua.

- Community Garden: Capital from the jewelry and snacks businesses was used to invest in a community garden, offering affordable, organic produce to nearby residents.
 

International Initiatives

Lionheart Initiative
This initiative started as a partnership in 2016 merging our organizations in 2023 as we worked to pioneer business development across Africa in conjunction with Go! International's initiatives for the same purpose in Latin America, organizing both the Central American Jiu Jitsu Championships and the Pan-African Jiu Jitsu Championships to grow the markets in those regions and support businesses in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and many others.
- Developed media and social media strategies to gain publicity and attract new clients.

- Provided material support through gym supplies, equipment, and uniforms

- Provided expert training from professional athletes through seminars
and training camps

- Expanded its network throughout Latin America and Africa, collaborating with fight promoters, other schools, and local businesses for sponsorships.