Magazine Online    The Authority On African-American Conventions, Incentives, & Leisure Travel
Industry Briefs
BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AIMS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR ATLANTA'S MINORITY BUSINESSES


On Friday, March 31, the U.S. Black Chambers Community Economic Development Corporation (USBC CEDC) in partnership with the Atlanta Black Chambers held a free workshop for minority entrepreneurs on business lending options, credit advice, and referrals to credit service providers.
 
The workshop was held at the Riverside EpiCenter in Austell, Georgia. Registration opened at 9:30am and the panel discussions started at 10:00am. Credit counseling and business speed networking were also available and lunch was provided for attendees.
The Atlanta workshop is the first in a series of 10 workshops led by the USBC CEDC which provides on-going training and development from top lending and credit experts in the field. Participants learned how to effectively fund and expand their entrepreneurial ventures, and become a part of a network of the nation's most established entrepreneurs. Presenters included Mr. Bill Cheeks, former vice president of Consumer Education, Equifax; and representatives from the National Foundation of Credit Counseling, BB&T, ACE Loans, Southwest Georgia United, the Minority Business Development Agency, and SCORE.



"There are 2.6 million black owned businesses and their number one concern is access to capital," said Ron Busby, Sr., president and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. "Since 2009, the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. has led the way to ensure that our small businesses are in the best position possible to succeed. Through the Capital Pathways program, we are helping Atlanta's small businesses explore alternative funding options and receive one-on-one credit counseling, which means a stronger economy and more productive communities."


The Capital Pathways program is targeted towards diverse business owners who have been in business for at least one year, and have generated at least $100,000 in revenue. The program infuses local partnerships and outreach, highlights home-grown founders and CEOs, and promotes inter-generational connections for collective economic growth and empowerment.

About Capital Pathways: The Capital Pathways program is a series of 10 workshops across the nation funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency's Broad Agency Announcement, and managed by the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. Community Economic Development Corporation. The USBC CEDC designs, develops and delivers financial education and business improvement programs to underserved communities nationwide. For more information on the Capital Pathways program, please visit www.capitalpathways.com.
Advertisement