The Winning Season: Grant Writing Academy hosted by Talibah Bayles Miles College Women's Business Center Director

Sandrieka L. Moore, with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and Zhaundra C. Jones at the Women's Foundation of Alabama kickoff the Grant Readiness Academy, Bringing Together the Best in the Business

The Miles College Women's Business Center is proud to announce that Talibah Bayles, Director of the Miles College Women's Business Center, will serve as the host and moderator of the Grant Readiness Academy: The Winning Season, a specially curated four-part grant writing series presented in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Created for entrepreneurs, small business owners, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, and community leaders, the Grant Readiness Academy is designed to help participants increase their success rate by mastering the fundamentals of grantsmanship in the age of artificial intelligence.

Under Bayles' leadership, the academy brings together the best in the business—local, corporate, philanthropic, and federal funding experts—to provide participants with practical, real-world guidance they can immediately apply. Throughout the four-session series, attendees will learn how to identify funding opportunities, understand what grant reviewers are looking for, develop compelling narratives, build competitive budgets, and leverage artificial intelligence to strengthen grant applications.

Serving as the academy's lead instructor is Dr. Jarralynne F. Agee, an award-winning, nationally recognized multi-million-dollar grant writer, principal investigator, and professor whose work has secured and managed millions of dollars in competitive federal, state, corporate, and foundation grants. Dr. Agee will facilitate the academy by sharing proven grant-writing strategies, successful proposal examples, reviewer expectations, AI-assisted grant writing techniques, and practical lessons drawn directly from funded proposals.

The academy opens on Thursday, July 9, with an Industry Insights session featuring Sandrieka L. Moore, Business Opportunity Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and Zhaundra C. Jones, Vice President of Strategy & Impact at the Women's Foundation of Alabama. Together, they will provide valuable perspectives on today's funding landscape and what organizations can do to become more competitive.

The remaining sessions will cover Finding Funding (July 16), Proposal Writing in the Age of AI (July 23), and Budget Building (July 30), providing participants with a complete roadmap for developing successful grant proposals. Each session is designed as a standalone workshop, allowing participants to attend the sessions most relevant to their needs or participate in the entire academy.

All four sessions will be offered in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or online, making the academy accessible to organizations and entrepreneurs across Alabama and beyond.

"The Grant Readiness Academy reflects our commitment to equipping entrepreneurs and organizations with the knowledge, relationships, and practical skills they need to secure funding and grow their impact," said Bayles. "By bringing together experienced grant professionals and funding partners, we are creating opportunities for participants to learn directly from leaders who understand today's competitive funding environment."

The Grant Readiness Academy is free and open to participants of all levels of grant-writing experience.

Grant Readiness Academy: The Winning Season

Session 1: Industry Insights

Thursday, July 9, 202611:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

SBA Alabama District Office

2 North 20th Street, Suite 325Birmingham, Alabama

Attend in person or online. Register for one session or all four.

Registration: https://mcwbc.ecenterdirect.com/events/971582

Learn more about the Miles College Women's Business Center: https://www.milescollegewbc.org