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One of our recipients, Center for Community Wealth Building (CCWB), received a $50,000 grant from the Kenneth King Foundation during our Spring 2024 Grant Cycle. The grant will support their entrepreneurial skill building programs designed in consultation with BIPOC entrepreneurs as well as procurement staff from local anchor institutions. The entrepreneurs, together with the Center for Community Wealth Building, have helped identify barriers facing them as they compete for work with larger institutions. The anchors work with CCWB to identify industry sectors in which they have existing procurement needs that could be met by local businesses. Together with CCWB coaching, they work to implement practices that are more small business friendly. Areas of opportunity include the skilled trades and catering. Entrepreneurs are learning how to create the business infrastructure needed to compete for jobs with the anchors and navigate the complex procurement processes. Our grant will also be used to help entrepreneurs strengthen their businesses and grow revenues through capacity building, technical assistance and one-on-one coaching. CCWB serves BIPOC entrepreneurs, small business owners, and worker-owned cooperatives. Their focus area is Metro Denver, primarily North Aurora and neighborhoods on Denver’s west side and in Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea. They estimate that CCWB will provide services to approximately 100 BIPOC entrepreneurs. Through collaboration, CCWB founded and co-convened the Colorado Entrepreneurship Coalition, a cohort of over 20 small business support organizations that works with entrepreneurs to help them find the support they need to succeed. CCWB also founded the ShopBIPOC collaborative, which created an online platform that matches interested consumers with BIPOC-owned businesses. This collaborative came together in response to the desire of Metro area consumers following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.
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