It is critical that ESOs have access to the right tools and best practices to collect data and report on the unique impact of their organization. ICIC's evaluation of Small Business Forward ESOs begins to fill a critical gap in measuring what effective business incubation looks like in the U.S. Read More

Written by Ted Archer, JPMorgan Chase and Kim Zeuli, ICIC As part of its Small Business Forward initiative, JPMorgan Chase supports women, minority and veteran-owned small businesses by investing in a dynamic cohort of entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs). In its first four years, Small Business Forward has partnered with 19 ESOs ... Read More

February is Black History Month, a time when we celebrate and honor black communities throughout the United States and highlight the people and stories that remain central to our nation’s history and enduring values. For ICIC, and our Inner City Capital Connections program in particular, this means recognizing  black-owned businesses’ unique challenges and successes,  and learning more about their founders’ stories. Read More

To address the critical gap in support for minority and women entrepreneurs, and catalyze a national conversation around inclusive economic growth, JPMorgan Chase has expanded their Small Business Forward initiative with a multi-year commitment of $150 million to support women-, minority- and veteran-owned small businesses with greater access to capital, technical support and guidance. Read More

As part of our partnership with JPMorgan Chase's Small Business Forward program, ICIC has been working closely with a group of entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) focused on the high-tech sector to better understand their impact on early-stage businesses. As the field of entrepreneurial support continues to mature, our evaluation provides a critical opportunity to better understand what effective support for high-tech, early-stage businesses looks like. Our findings also start to fill a critical data gap for ESOs. Read More