Todd Sears

Consider your personal involvement in creating opportunities for people of color in the US and around the world. We are responsible for our culture!#DreamExchange#ipo#VentureExchange#blackwealth#blackwallstreet#invest#wealth#generationalwealth

5

What an eye-opening discussion at the session “Leveling the Playing Field: Equity in Evaluation for Black Non-Profit Organizations” for ABFE 2024. Thank you @Tina Fletcher, @Wiselene Dorceus, @Endaisia Love for sharing your insights and experience.    The conversation centered around evaluating and improving the impact of nonprofit organizations through a more inclusive lens, including the oft-underexplored importance of understanding the cultural context when considering the need for alignment with equitable practices.    Without a frank addressing of these issues, we risk isolating this vibrant and crucial segment of the broader non-profit community.    I hope to see this dialogue continued and would welcome any tips or insights into how anyone reading with experience in this area builds their own playbook for success to support non-profit organizations providing key support to Black communities.    A better future starts with a better understanding of what it means to include.     #NonprofitImpact #InclusiveEvaluation #SupportingBlackCommunities   

11

In 2021, Black-owned businesses saw a remarkable growth of 14.3%, even amid the challenges of the pandemic. However, ongoing legal battles threaten funding for these vital enterprises. To ensure continued support for Black entrepreneurs, The Brookings Institution complied several Innovative strategies for investing in Black-owned businesses amid DEI backlash: Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs): These are specialized lending programs designed to provide credit to economically and socially disadvantaged groups. They allow lenders to offer loans based on race to help address historical inequities in access to capital, in line with the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act. This strategy is crucial for closing the racial wealth gap. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): CDFIs are specialized organizations that provide financial services in underserved areas. They focus on lending to small businesses, especially those owned by people of color, and often receive funding from the U.S. Treasury. CDFIs help fill the financing void left by traditional banks, making it easier for Black entrepreneurs to secure loans. Place-Based Funding: This approach targets investments in specific neighborhoods or regions that have been historically underserved or marginalized. By focusing resources on these areas, investors can stimulate local economies, support community development, and help businesses thrive in places that have often been overlooked. Community Ownership Models: This strategy encourages community members to invest in local businesses, allowing them to share in the success and wealth generated. By involving locals in ownership, these models build community ties and ensure that profits stay within the community, fostering economic resilience and empowerment. Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding leverages small contributions from a large number of people, often through online platforms. This approach allows entrepreneurs to raise capital without relying solely on traditional funding sources. It’s particularly effective for Black-owned businesses, as it can widen their financial support network beyond their immediate social circles. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/4gxcdI3 Along with these strategies, YW Boston hosted a webinar discussing the legal implications of the recent Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action. Hear insights from our panelist, here: https://buff.ly/47zN7nR

9

1 Comment

"I know what she stands for. She believes in entrepreneurship, tech, and business. She’s deeply committed to equity and access for all. I’ve seen her in action in my hometown of Atlanta, GA, where she’s met with the #business community, genuinely listening to the challenges entrepreneurs face and seeking solutions. She’s done the same in North Carolina and beyond. Her commitment to #innovation and progress is clear, standing in stark contrast to the regressive policies of the Trump era.” Shila Nieves Burney 🇵🇷 #OnRepeat #InspiredByYou "1.5 million jobs are created by small companies each year & account for 64% of new #jobs in the US." "1/2 of America's working population, owns runs or works in a small business. When we think about strengthening the economy as a whole, not to mention the ambition and the dreams all of that is what you guys are doing. So what I am going to be rolling out next week is a tax credit for startups, for #smallbusiness (inserting for #Founders)" VP Kamala Harris at Dottie's Market in Georgia. 🖊️ Have you signed & shared the Founders for Kamala pledge to vote & volunteer in this coalition of small business owners, entrepreneurs and founders? https://lnkd.in/eQviaX2T Cc: Georgia & North Carolina #FoundersforKamala Go-Chairs who are organizing local activations for our coalition: Tamara Vrooman Lucas Jenn Graham Kacie Lett Gordon Heather Gibbons Adam Sherif James Lowen #leadership #money #CultureofMoney Sources for quotes and #data can be found in this post: https://lnkd.in/g9eKaPsq

32

Centuries to parity for Black Americans “The nation’s suburbs and exurbs have the highest overall Black outcome scores. They come out on top or as runner-up across seven of our eight aspirations, leading in metrics such as median household income ($79,000), workers in management roles (36 percent), life expectancy (78 years), and bachelor’s degree attainment (29 percent). But less than 12 percent of Black Americans live in the urban periphery, five percentage points lower than the share of the total US population in this community profile.” McKinsey does not do normative analysis but we do and so do hundreds of scholars and policy wonks. The way to improving the situation for Black people in America is not opaque and unknowable. We need to get to work. Link to the Levers of Change in the comments and the McKinsey Juneteenth newsletter

"…global feminist legal reform during the UN Decade for Women (1976-85) shifted economic norms in favor of Black American women, a phenomenon that positioned Black women as the primary beneficiaries of economic opportunity for Black Americans." "Wealth Inequality, Family Stability and Insecure Attachment to Wealth among Black American Men and Women" is now available at https://lnkd.in/dtPrjfHe

1