Patricia Harris is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Edge Connection. The Edge Connection is a non-profit entrepreneurial center located at Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University, with a mission to assist individuals in the start-up, expansion, and growth of microenterprise and small business ventures. The organization was formed in 1998.
Under Patricia’s leadership, the organization was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center, which is one of 100 centers in the country. To date the organization has reached over 2,000 entrepreneurs (unduplicated), has provided over 79,560 hours of training and consultation, boasts economic impact of over $20 million in revenues for polled clients served, and assisted in leveraging over $10 million in access to capital and loans to grow business ventures. Patricia is now spearheading the opening of The Edge’s Enterprise Center Kitchen Incubator that will serve agricultural and catering businesses.
She is nationally recognized for her efforts in economic development, and has numerous awards and merits to her credit. She has been nationally recognized by U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Vision 2000 Award; United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, Outstanding Community Service, 2001; Leaders Publishing Business to Business Magazine Diva, 2002; YWCA of Northwest Georgia, Woman of Achievement, 2003; National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), Inspiration of the Year, 2004; U. S. Small Business Administration, Georgia, Women in Business Champion of the Year 2005; Georgia Micro Enterprise Network Founder’s Award, 2006; YWCA of Greater Atlanta’s 2007 Academy of Women Achievers; 2008 Women About Biz’s Influential Woman Atlanta Outstanding Leadership Award; and 2009 Atlanta Business League 100 Women to Watch.
She is a philanthropist and donates her time in the community with the Association for Enterprise Opportunities (AEO), Washington, DC, vice-chair; United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, board director; Getting Ahead Association Credit Union, Atlanta, GA, board director; DeKalb Enterprise Business Corporation (DEBCO), Decatur, GA, board director; Cobb Works! Workforce Investment Board, Marietta, GA, commissioned board director; Kennesaw State University Humanities Advisory Council member; and Georgia Micro Enterprise Network, Founding Member and Advisory Council.
Ms. Harris holds degrees in organizational development and business management from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, a music degree from the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and the recipient of an organizational development fellowship whereby she studied in Europe at the Landmark Center – “The Forum.” She and her husband, Cozell Harris, reside in Kennesaw, GA.
