Client Spotlight: How Omni Circle is Giving Topeka’s Minority Entrepreneurs a Space to Grow
Michael Odupitan, CEO at Omni Circle Group
Michael Odupitan has spent his life giving back to his community. After graduating from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, he worked in juvenile detention centers and correctional facilities and opened his home to foster children. Still, he felt like he could do more.
He founded Omni Circle Group in 2019. The Topeka-based collaborative workspace aims to enhance the skill sets of minority entrepreneurs and creators with an environment that sparks innovation. Odupitan hopes that Omni Circle can help people break generational cycles and create diversity and inclusion opportunities across the city.
This community work is being noticed. Last year, Omni Circle won a $360,000 grant from the Kauffman Foundation to expand its support for minority-owned businesses. Funds will provide resources, including educational training, workshops and mentorship programs, a shared workspace and connections to grant scholarships. The grant — which Violet PR’s client, the Greater Topeka Partnership, helped secure — will help support minority small business owners in joining a budding Topeka startup community that has historically not provided adequate resources to help underserved entrepreneurs.
Funds from the Kauffman grant are providing comprehensive training programs to support, engage and further the professional development of Topeka’s BIPOC startup community. At the end of this month, Omni Circle is set to open its 15,000-square-foot building in Topeka that will serve as a coworking and networking space for its members.
Danielle Martin, Jermel Walker and Jarvis Doleman
Since its start, Omni Circle has provided educational programming ranging from community, business, personal and youth development to more than 50 members. Standout stories include:
After relocating to Topeka and joining Omni Circle, Danielle Martin received an opportunity as a TV host and producer for Advisors Excel, started her podcast and was named a program manager for Omni Circle’s MOVE fitness boot camp.
Jermel Walker joined Omni’s Leadership Track to give back to his community. It spurred a domino effect. Now, he leads Topeka’s community cleanup efforts and Omni’s mowing initiative, which offers free lawn care. But the most significant change came in his professional career. Because of the leadership skills he gained from Omni, he was promoted from an entry-level employee to a manager and aims to become a motivational speaker.
Jarvis Doleman joined Omni Circle to help his son feel more connected to his culture following George Floyd’s murder. He is now managing its youth mentoring program. The knowledge, leadership and public speaking skills he learned benefitted his professional career. He was hired as section director for Early Care & Youth Programs at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.