The Problem

Nikki understands firsthand what it means to build something with limited resources while creating opportunity for others.

As the founder of Buy From A Black Woman, Nikki has spent years helping entrepreneurs access resources, visibility, and economic opportunity. Through her work, she has supported more than 700 business owners and helped generate over $6.12 million in revenue for small businesses. She knows small business owners are not asking for handouts. They are asking for access, support, and systems that actually work for them.

Too often, small businesses are left out of workforce and economic development conversations, even though they are one of the largest drivers of job creation in Georgia. Many small business owners struggle to hire and retain workers while navigating rising costs, limited resources, and systems that were never designed for small businesses.

At the same time, many Georgians are looking for stable jobs closer to home but remain disconnected from businesses in their own communities that are growing and hiring.

This is not just a business issue. It is a workforce issue. Small businesses are a workforce development. They create jobs, train workers, and help keep local economies alive. When small businesses struggle, communities lose opportunity.

The future of Georgia’s economy will be built by people bold enough to create opportunity.

Nikki’s Plan

As Labor Commissioner, Nikki will work to better connect workforce development efforts with Georgia’s small business community because strong local businesses create strong local economies.

Her administration will:

• Strengthen relationships between Career Centers and local businesses

• Improve access to workforce resources and hiring support for small employers

• Support hiring pipelines that connect local workers to local businesses

• Promote entrepreneurship as part of Georgia’s long-term economic growth strategy

• Increase outreach to underserved, rural, and historically overlooked business communities

• Help create stronger connections between workforce programs, training opportunities, and small business hiring needs

What Nikki Believes

Small businesses do more than create jobs. They create opportunity, stability, and economic mobility within communities.

Nikki believes Georgia’s workforce systems should support not only large corporations, but also the entrepreneurs and small businesses working every day to keep communities alive. When small businesses are supported, workers have more opportunities, families have more stability, and local economies become stronger and more resilient.

Georgia’s economy grows from the ground up, and that means investing in the people and businesses already doing the work in communities across the state.