Blog: Small Business
How an unlikely trio in Detroit grew into the 4th fastest-growing inner city business in the country
Learn how MeritHall, a 2016 Inner City 100 winner and business with more than $5 million in annual revenue, got an unlikely start in Detroit. Read More
The Big Impact of Small Business Forward Grantees
In 2016, 12 of the nation’s most innovative incubators and accelerators were awarded funding from JPMorgan Chase’s Small Business Forward initiative to support their growth and the growth of the small businesses they support. In sectors ranging from food to clean energy to water technology, the grant recipients are moving the needle in terms of job and wealth creation in over 10 cities in 8 states. Read More
Keeping pace: Inner City 100 companies see continued success after being named among the nation’s fastest growing urban businesses
Every year at ICIC we honor the Inner City 100 (IC100), a list of the fastest-growing inner city businesses in America. Here's what the outstanding 2016 honorees have been up to since the Awards and Conference. Read More
Northeastern’s “Impact Lending” program shows how universities can support inner city businesses and bolster local economy
Last month Northeastern University announced it was committing $2.5 million in seed funding for a newly created “Impact Lending” program, offered in conjunction with LISC Boston. The seed money will capitalize a $6.5 million revolving loan fund (RLF), and the RLF will enable LISC to provide $1,000 to $1 million loans to women- and minority-owned small businesses located in or around Northeastern University. Read More
Geography, race and ethnicity remain barriers to capital for entrepreneurs
The U.S. Census Bureau has released its first-ever Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE). Approximately 290,000 employer businesses across all U.S. geographies and demographics participated in the survey during 2014. The results reveal that significant gaps in access to capital still remain. Read More