This summer, MAP Director Brian Becker traded the virtual classroom for the factory floor. His SME Manufacturing Tour took him to nine facilities across six states and Washington, D.C., from a custom box plant in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to a chocolate maker in a 125-year-old former ice plant in Rockland, Maine. Brian takes us inside the plants to share what he learned: why one brewery posts its financials on the brewhouse wall, how a pretzel company built a team around inclusion, and why no manufacturer should have to grow alone. Read More

When a contractor took more than $20,000 from her mother and vanished, Vicki Gray built a company people could trust. New Chapter HI Services is now the SBA’s 2026 Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year for Massachusetts. The BFG alumna shares three lessons any contractor can use. Read More

At Global Café in Memphis, a large table sits at the center of the dining room where strangers often share a meal. For founder Sabine Langer, it reflects the purpose behind the business: creating belonging for immigrants and refugees while opening doors to opportunity. The restaurant employs immigrant and refugee chefs, honors their food traditions, and supports staff through language classes, housing assistance, and other resources shaped by their needs. The impact has earned recognition through the IC100 Awards’ Dorothy A. Terrell Community Impact Award. With support from ICIC’s ICCC program, Sabine strengthened the business while staying rooted in its mission. Read More

  ICCC New Jersey 2025 brings together established small business owners who are focused on scaling their companies and strengthening their communities. Through Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC), entrepreneurs receive hands-on technical assistance, executive education, one-on-one coaching, and access to capital expertise designed to help them grow with structure and intention. Sarabjit Sawhney, founder of South Amboy Kitchen, and Lydia Barron, founder of Lydia Barron Consulting Group, share how ICCC supports business owners as they apply strategic thinking, financial discipline, and practical tools to real-world growth challenges—translating ambition into sustainable, long-term success. Read More

ICIC’s ICCC program, in partnership with Amazon and Arctaris Impact Investors, recently marked the completion of the 2025 Amazon Accelerate and Empower Program at a capstone event hosted by Miles College. Forty four small businesses from across the Delta Region completed the ten week curriculum, gaining tools to strengthen procurement readiness, refine strategy, and expand capacity. Among them was Active Energy Services, a veteran owned, woman owned Tennessee contractor whose leaders, Tena and Rich Everett, credit the program with sharpening their vision and elevating their operations. Through expert led instruction, one to one coaching, and a collaborative cohort experience, they refined their messaging, strengthened internal processes, and identified new opportunities for growth. The capstone showcased the progress of every participating firm, underscoring the program’s value for business owners seeking structure, clarity, and high level guidance as they scale their business. Read More