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 As a young man growing up in Nigeria, he had a dream to come to the United States to study engineering like his father and brother before him. He knew if he worked hard and paid his dues, he would do well. He would do better than well. He would give back to his adopted country and to his native village as well.
More than 26 years later, and with several years of engineering experience working for city governments under his belt, Ogbonna Abarikwu decided to give up his job and open his own business.
It was time to take aim at his dream.
But he needed some guidance along the way, so he sought out the APS Academy for the Advancement of Small, Minority and Women-owned Enterprises, or AAAME. Through AAAME, APS helps small business owners learn how to thrive and grow their companies.
Launched in 1997, AAAME teaches small-business owners the skills necessary for their companies to succeed. These business skills include training in strategic planning, finance, management/operations and marketing. Students also are partnered with advisers from both the non-profit and private sectors - including APS volunteers, business consultants and retired executives - who can provide lessons learned from their own experiences in the business world.
"AAAME broadened my contacts and circle of influence," said Abarikwu, who graduated AAAME in September, 2005. "The materials that were taught and discussed during class validated my purpose for being in business, re-affirmed my approach towards day-to-day business management and confirmed my belief that owning and running a small business can be scary and rewarding at the same time."
Abarikwu's company, CK Engineering, which consults on transportation projects, is part of a fast-growing business segment in Arizona - the small, black and other minority-owned business. According to the latest census data, black-owned businesses have grown in Arizona by 77 percent between 1997 and 2002. In that same timeframe, small businesses grew by 16 percent.
Abarikwu, who started his company out of his home in 1995, now has 18 employees and projects hitting $5 million in revenues by 2008.
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