ICCC and Bank of America

Testimonials | Get Involved | Apply for ICCC

In 2005, Bank of America provided the founding grant to create and launch the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program with an inaugural cohort of 25 businesses. Since then, Bank of America has both maintained and grown their support of the ICCC program, helping it reach over 6,000 small businesses across the U.S.

Today, ICCC serves small businesses in more than a dozen geographies across the U.S. and Canada. To see where the program will be hosted in 2024 and apply, click here.

Bank of America’s support goes well beyond funding; they are the primary capital coaching partner for the program, where their bankers volunteer to sit down and coach ICCC participants on how to get capital-ready, and connect them with local resources to help them on their journey.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bank of America accelerated their efforts to reach the most impacted businesses across the United States and offered thousands of hours of support. Since 2020, we have matched 351 Bank of America volunteers with ICCC participants for the coaching component of the program.

In addition, Bank of America has also served as a sponsor of ICIC’s Annual Conference, especially in serving as a gentler, kinder “Shark” at the Shark Tank competition taking place at the conference.

Testimonials

” Ali R., my capital coach from Bank of America, shared perspectives about my business that I hadn’t thought about and is challenging me to think about when engulfed in the day to day operations of a business. His specific recommendation will change the trajectory of my business for generations to come!”

– Chad Rhodes, “The Rhodes Cos”, 2021 Detroit Alum, Coached by Ali R.

“I was able to meet with my Bank of America coach for a few sessions and get clarity and understand different resources. I was able to tap into some of the knowledge and expertise of my coach to set up my organization to grow… I would recommend going through the program and taking the program to another level by signing up for Capital Coaching.”

– Gresham Harkless, Blue 16 Media, 2021 Northern Virginia Alum, Coached by Tarek B.

Get Involved

One-on-One coaching is an invaluable way for our participants to get direct, personalized feedback on their business’s specific challenges and steer them towards sustainable growth. Volunteering as a capital and/or general business coach is a great way for our partners to directly influence our small business owners and build strong relationships with emerging businesses in their communities. Reach out to iccc_coaching@icic.org to express interest and get more information!

For more information on the ICCC Coaching component, click here.

Apply for ICCC

Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) is a tuition-free executive leadership training program designed by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) to help business owners in under-resourced communities build capacity for sustainable growth and resiliency. Through in-person and virtual seminars, digital learning modules, and individual coaching, our self-paced 40-hour “mini-MBA” allows you to customize a curriculum to fit your business’s specific needs.

For more information on the ICCC program, visit our program page here. To apply for the 2024 program, click here.