“How can we lift up black business voice?”
Eric Brown is President and CEO of Urban League of West Michigan.
“How can we be more inclusive, have more representation from our black businesses within our community, obviously benefitting everybody?”
Brown and members of the West Michigan Black Business Alliance updated the organization’s ongoing engagement with the local business community. Through its work, three Black and Brown-owned businesses obtained contracts with the city of Grand Rapids. WMBBA member Keith Morgan:
“So, these three businesses started with a combined annual revenue of $644,000. By the time we were done, we were able to get those contracts, these businesses were able to impact and grow their annual revenue to $921,000, so just under a million in revenue.”
Morgan says moving forward, it’s imperative that the city continue investing in equitable business ventures.
“Longstanding data shows that Grand Rapids is one of the hardest places for Black residents to prosper and underscore the urgency of equity work. So, closing that racial gap could add about $92 billion in state economic output annually according to the Kellogg’s Foundation.”
Over the past three years, the city has contributed $175,000 to WMBBA programs.
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