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Black-Owned Businesses

Supporting Black-Owned Businesses

We are committed to elevating the success of Black-owned businesses. Below is a curated list of  funding, programs, and resources offered by various organizations who support Black-owned businesses. If you have any resources that should be added to this list, please reach out to 

communications@publicprivatestrategies.com.

Funding Opportunities

Name Type Description
1863 Fund Loans An alternative financing model for black, brown & women owned brands. Revenue-based financing (RBF) is the leading alternative to equity financing for startups. Revenue-based financing is best used to bridge short-term gaps to support long-term outcomes. The RBF loans provide flexible repayment options tied to your monthly net revenue to accommodate the ebbs and flows of early stage cash flow businesses.
Accion Opportunity Fund Loans At Accion Opportunity Fund we work closely with small business owners to provide them with fairly priced loans, educational resources, coaching, and support networks in English and Spanish. Opportunity Fund still remains the lending arm of Accion Opportunity Fund.
Accompany Capital Loans Accompany Capital creates a pathway to self-sufficiency for immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in New York City by providing access to affordable credit, empowering with financial education, and offering training in best business practices and technology.
Amazon Black Business Accelerator Accelerator Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator is dedicated to helping build sustainable equity and growth for Black entrepreneurs by enabling their success as sellers. Grow your business with access to financial support, strategic business guidance and mentorship, and marketing and promotional support.
Backing the B.A.R. Grant The NAACP x BACARDI are working together to provide dedicated support to Black-owned businesses in the beverage alcohol service, sales, and hospitality industries. Backing the B.A.R. is a NAACP initiative that is awarding over $350,000 in acceleration grants, education, support, and entrepreneurship solutions for Black-owned bars, restaurants, nightclubs, lounges, liquor stores, and small businesses in the process of applying for a liquor license.
Backstage Capital Investment At Backstage Capital, we invest in companies led by underestimated founders, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ founders. We've invested in 150+ companies so far, and our support goes beyond investment.
Black Girl Ventures x Bumble Investment Black Girl Ventures has teamed up with Bumble Fund, the investment arm of women-first dating and networking app Bumble, to invest in Black women entrepreneurs. If you're a Black woman seeking capital to grow your business, learn more about the opportunity and apply below.
Black Restaurant Accelerator Grant The National Urban League and PepsiCo joined forces to create the Black Restaurant Accelerator, which will boost approximately 500 Black-owned businesses over the next five years. The PepsiCo Foundation is providing a $10 million grant to fund the program, which will provide current and aspiring Black restaurateurs with access to capital, training, mentorship and other support services that are necessary for business success.
Business Equity Fund Loans The Business Equity Fund is specifically targeted to minority-owned companies with over $250,000 in annual revenue in Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire and Northern Rhode Island, for whom a loan or equity investment of $300,000 to $500,000 would create jobs or expand operations. Loan applicants are rigorously screened by the fund managers and the BEF Investment Committee to select those businesses most able to leverage a loan or equity investment into positive outcomes. Recipients also receive ongoing support and oversight in partnership with the Business Equity Initiative.
Coalition to Back Black Businesses Grant The Coalition to Back Black Businesses is a multi-year initiative to support Black small business owners and the communities they serve as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and chart a path forward. Small businesses are critical parts of communities – the strength of these businesses is essential to the recovery of their communities.
Collab Capital Investment Collab Capital was founded by three experienced founders, operators, and investors who collectively decided to solve the problem of capital access for Black entrepreneurs. At Collab, our perspective is that by investing in great Black founders and helping them grow and scale their businesses, we have a unique opportunity to set the foundation for wealth creation in Black communities.
Comcast RISE Investment Fund Grant Comcast will be awarding grants of up to $10,000 each for U.S.-based small and diverse businesses that have been in operations for three to five years.
DivInc Accelerator Our mission is to bridge the gap between underrepresented entrepreneurs and the resources they need to build profitable, high-growth companies. We mobilize communities, execute programs and establish partnerships that foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive cultures.
Fearless Fund Investment Fearless Fund invests in high growth, scalable, women of color-led ventures across the United states. While we are industry agnostic, we seek companies that we feel our team of General and Limited Partners can add the most value to and help scale.
FeverPitch Grant FeverPitch is an annual business pitch competition curated by Black Connect that provides a platform for Black entrepreneurs and business owners to gain insight from and exposure to successful entrepreneurs, seasoned professionals, community and corporate leaders, executives, disruptors and more. The goal of FeverPitch is to build, empower and boost Black Connect’s startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship by bringing entrepreneurs, corporates, investors and the public together, helping to create innovation and networking hubs and populate and cultivate Black Connect’s pipeline of entrepreneurs. FeverPitch is open to Black Connect’s Entrepreneur/Sole Proprietor, Small Business, and College Student members.
Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans Grant The Foundation is launching the James Beard Foundation Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans to provide financial resources for food or beverage businesses that are majority-owned by Black or Indigenous individuals. These grants are part of our Open for Good campaign, launched in April to rebuild an independent restaurant industry that is stronger, more equitable, more sustainable, and more resilient when it re-opens post-COVID-19. This new Fund is part of the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to continually lift up the Black and Indigenous business owners in our industry, not just in light of the pandemic, but for good. Financial resources are that much more impactful when coupled with support from organizations and experts who make themselves available to provide guidance on professional skills like marketing, structuring business plans, and negotiating contracts. The Foundation is creating new partnerships to deliver this value to our grant recipients in an effort to see these businesses thrive for the long term. The Fund aims to disburse grants equally across the Black and Indigenous populations throughout the United States. Using the most recent census data, we have delineated six regions of the country, each containing 16 to 17% of the total Black and Indigenous population in the U.S. Using this framework, we can ensure our funds are not concentrated in one part of the country over another.
Founders First Capital Partners Loans Founders First Capital Partners provides access to the critical capital businesses need to unlock their economic potential.
Harlem Capital Partners Investment Harlem Capital is a venture capital firm on a mission to change the face of entrepreneurship by investing in 1,000 diverse founders over 20 years.
Kapor Capital Investment At Kapor Capital we believe in the power of transformative ideas and diverse teams. We are an Oakland-based fund that understands that startup companies have the ability to transform entire industries and to address urgent social needs as they do so.
Oakland Black Business Fund Investment The OBBF platform includes a $10M relief fund focused on helping Oakland businesses impacted by COVID-19 and a $1B investment fund to support Black entrepreneurs across the country.
Power Forward Grant Vistaprint, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, and the NAACP teamed up to empower Black-owned small businesses in New England. Power Forward Small Business Grants provide $25,000 + design and marketing assistance to qualified applicants on a rolling basis.
Scale-Up Pitch Challenge Prize National Black MBA Association® launched the Scale-Up Pitch Challenge in 2017 which works to satisfy the mission of the Association to help create and support wealth building opportunities for its members, with previous winners experiencing great success with investors due to exposure and funding provided through this challenge.
She's Next Grant Program for Black Women-Owned Businesses Grant In celebration of International Women’s Day, Visa is continuing to take action and remove the disproportionate barriers faced by Black women founders by offering $10,000 and a one-year IFundWomen Annual Coaching Membership to 60 Black women-owned businesses across six (6) key cities in the U.S. Applications are open through April 16, 2021.
SheaMoisture $1Million Fund Incubator Grant In 2020, The New Voices Foundation created this e-learning module for women of color entrepreneurs to continue to gain education, access to resources, mentorship, and advice on how to prepare for the economic downturn.
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Loans With residents and partners, LISC forges resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America – great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families. Since 1979, LISC has invested $24 billion to build or rehab more than 436,320 affordable homes and apartments and develop 74.4 million square feet of retail, community and educational space.
Urban Awareness USA Grants Urban Awareness USA bridges the gaps between communities, philanthropist, local government agencies, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. Since 2003 UA has been providing comprehensive services, resources, training and networking opportunities enabling enhanced awareness and collaboration between stakeholders to better serve urban communities.

Business Expertise

Name Type Description
Black Business Association Support Organization Founded in 1970, the Black Business Association (BBA), headquartered in Los Angeles, the oldest active ethnic business organization in the state of California, has been committed to ensuring that African American and other diverse business owners benefit from our advocacy efforts to impact, improve and implement policy that improves access to contracting and procurement opportunities with the public and private sector, in addition to providing access to financial resources. The BBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Black Founders Community Group Black Founders is creating an ecosystem that stimulates tech entrepreneurship and fosters economic growth. We develop global programs that equip entrepreneurs, inspire innovation, and allow us to share resources.
Black Girl Ventures Support Organization Our mission is to provide Black/Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, capital, and capacity building in order to meet business milestones that lead to economic advancement through entrepreneurship.
Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship (USPTO) Government Agency The Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship program annually spotlights Black inventors and business personalities across the United States to showcase their legacy contributions to America’s ingenuity and innovation.
Black Owned Everything Marketplace Black Owned Everything is more than just a platform or marketplace. What started as an Instagram page has become a movement; a medium for creating meaningful and long-lasting participation between Black business, community, and excellence. It is not ephemeral, trend-based, or short-lived.
Black Women Connect Community Group Black Women Connect is an online community and social network for African American women who are career-driven and business savvy. Users connect for jobs, business building, professional networking, and girl talk.
Foundation for Business Equity (FBE) Support Organization The Foundation for Business Equity EXISTS so that Black and Latinx entrepreneurs reach their full growth potential. Our MISSION is to build collaborative ecosystems and programs that remove structural barriers.
Hello Alice Black-Owned Business Center Resource Center Especially as a Black entrepreneur, we get that the odds are stacked against you for reasons far beyond your control, and it's why Hello Alice came to be in the first place. So while celebrating is great, funding and support and guidance is even better, and we're committed to doing that, too.
JPMorgan Chase Advancing Black Pathways (ABP) Support Organization Making the economy work for more people is a key focus for JPMorgan Chase. As part of that mission we launched Advancing Black Pathways—an initiative that builds on our existing efforts to help the black community chart stronger paths towards economic success and empowerment.
Lemon-AID Foundation Foundation Helping talented entrepreneurs, particularly women and minorities, who simply haven't had the same resources and guidance available to them as many of us have. This foundation is here to build a bridge of knowledge & opportunities for those individuals in need of a chance.
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Authority) Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (LDBE) Certification The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (Authority) LDBE Program provides opportunities to local small business firms without regard to race or sex. These LDBE firms are eligible for any Authority contract that requires LDBE participation.
Minority Business Development Agency Government Agency The U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises.
NACCP Member and Support Organization We have partnered with organizations such as BeyGOOD, Vistaprint and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, Diversity Capital, Hello Alice, and many more to support Black entrepreneurship and the businesses that have been hit the hardest as a result of COVID-19 and social uprisings.
National Black MBA Association Community Group The mission of the National Black MBA Association® is to lead in the creation of educational, wealth building, and growth opportunities for those historically underrepresented throughout their careers as students, entrepreneurs and professionals.
National Minority Supplier Development Council Member Organization The National Minority Supplier Development Council advances business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members.
National Urban League Support Organization People of color are changing the way America does business. The buying power of African-American and Latino consumers tops $1 trillion annually, and research indicates that these groups are also the fastest growing number of new small business owners. Business startups are key to job and wealth creation, and through the work of the National Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Center Program, people across the country are being empowered to establish new ventures every day. Our Entrepreneurship Centers enable minority entrepreneurs who are running their businesses as sole proprietors, to thrive by growing revenue above $750k annually and creating jobs.
Official Black Wall Street Marketplace and Support Organization The largest app & digital platform connecting consumers to Black-owned businesses
One Million Black Women Support Organization In partnership with Black women-led organizations and other partners, our new investment initiative, One Million Black Women, will commit $10 billion in direct investment capital and $100 million in philanthropic support to address the dual disproportionate gender and racial biases that Black women have faced for generations, which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. One Million Black Women will comprise investments focused on key moments in Black women’s lives from early childhood through retirement. These investment areas include healthcare, education, housing, and small business, all aimed at narrowing opportunity gaps and positively impacting the lives of at least one million Black women.
Support Black Owned Marketplace SBO was created as a one-stop source that is used to bring tremendous popularity to help Black business owners and consumers. SBO offers premier Black owned business listings and tools that allow businesses to invest and build wealth in our very own communities. We offer Black Owned Businesses a variety of services to help them grow and improve their business. These services include, but are not limited to, a line of communication between businesses and consumers, an online marketplace to display their products, videos, events, special offers, and more. SupportBlackOwned.Com is also a easy-to-use search engine for individuals looking to support these businesses.
Target Accelerator Accelerator Target Accelerators offers a portfolio of programs to help you learn more about retail and how to scale for mass retail shelves. Every Target Accelerator is engineered to unleash our collaborative force and help your business succeed. And whether you’re looking for strategic guidance or looking to expand your knowledge and network, we'll help you get it faster.
US Black Chambers, Inc. Member and Support Organization The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, we support African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises.
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