WHO WE ARE

WE ARE AN  ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ORGANIZATION

 

"Enabling Through Education, Empowering Through Entrepreneurship, And Driving Change Through Economic Development"

 

 

The ECoE (Centers of Excellence): Driving Change, Building Sustainability

 

The Smith Gruppe ECoE (Center of Excellence) model, established in 2022, champions a transformative vision for marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities. Guided by the bold ethos of a "Relentless Pursuit of Excellence," we empower individuals and stakeholders to reclaim their narratives and define their destinies. Through education, economic development, and entrepreneurship, we ignite pathways to lasting economic and social sustainability.

 

Our approach is grounded in technology-driven innovation and collaboration, fueling opportunities that transcend barriers and unlock potential. Each E3 CoE is supported by a Smith Gruppe IEDC (Infrastructure Edge Data Center), which makes it more than a center—it’s a movement. Our team is the “Difference Maker,” and the catalyst for groundbreaking ideas that ripple across the social sphere, uniting diverse voices and amplifying the impact of community-based initiatives.

 

Every year, our mission inspires a growing coalition of philanthropists, volunteers, corporate leaders, higher education institutions, public agencies, and private sector organizations. Their dedication affirms a universal truth: that change is possible when we commit resources, capacity, and care to create sustainable, thriving communities.

 

We stand united in purpose, daring to dream of a future where education empowers, economic development uplifts, and entrepreneurship transforms. Together, we build a legacy of resilience, innovation, equity and sustainability—one community at a time.

 

WE BELIEVE

We "Envision" a world in which marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities are empowered with mindsets of "Excellence", thereby increasing their economic and social sustainability and viability.

OUR MISSION

Our "Mission" is to eradicate progressive poverty in marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities throug our CoEs (Centers Of Excellence), which drive education, economic development, and entrepreneurship sustainability models.


OUR LEADER 

ANTOINE SMITH

 

Chairman & CEO

Antoine Smith Bio

 

Antoine Smith leads Smith Gruppe. Antoine is integral to the Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, and Piedmont Region business communities.

 

He has succussfully built and led many successful business models, and coached countless executives and entrepreneurs along the path of professional deveolopment and the ability to build a scalable and sustainable business model. Mr. Smith serves his clients and institutions well through his exceptional team building, education, and training abilities. The Smith Gruppe consulting practice focuses on providing trusted corporate-level business advisory and consulting services designed for small to medium-sized businesses, lower middle market corporations, educational institutions, municipalities, and non-profit organizations. 

 

Antoine is an acclaimed speaker delivering invaluable insights to business and trade associations to educate them on how to increase top-line growth. Smith Gruppe is active in the private capital markets and invests as an equity player in portfolio companies in order to drive economic development in marginalized, underserved and underrepresented communities; that lack access to capital. 

 

Mr. Smith is a certified Educator/Facilitator and delivers substantive value to community stakeholders large and small that focus on Education, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. 

 

Smith Gruppe supports its commitments and engagements by directly investing in community infrastructure by way of standing up IEDCs (Infrastructure Edge Data Centers) to provide capacity and resources to the partners it engages.    


TESTIMONIALS

The value delivered to communities of all origin and orentiation by the ECoE Business Model can’t be underestimated. We collaborated with them in 2023 to deliver workforce deveolopment and technical career apprenticeships, and the programming that their team offered was an unprecedented game-changer for our community.

Avis Robinson - Executive Director Lexington Housing Authority

This organization does what a lot of other charities and charitable institutions should have been doing years ago. It is great that Humanity exists. Their strategic and resource partners do not just give necessary resources and assistance, they give hope to all that engage and participate in the process.

 

Dr. William C. Merritt