Living Cities Business Starts & Growth is a multi-year initiative designed to support city government leaders and trusted community organizations in Albuquerque, NM, Austin, TX, Memphis, TN, Rochester, NY, Minneapolis, MN, ST. Paul, MN, in accelerating wealth building via business ownership.
Small businesses employ nearly half of all American workers. They are the primary source of jobs, they provide a sense of place and neighborhood vitality, and they continue to be drivers of wealth creation in U.S cities.
Despite the lingering effects of the pandemic, a changing policy environment and an uneven adoption of Artificial Intelligence, small businesses continue to have the ambition to grow. However, lack of access to social, knowledge and financial capital consistently sets them back and pushes them to use costly and unsafe loans.
By providing expert technical assistance, leveraging Living Cities expertise in the areas of ecosystem building and inclusive procurement, and deploying grants across cohort cities, the Business Starts & Growth Initiative has helped cities and their local partners design and advance the following data-driven solutions:
This body of work is made possible by Citi Foundation. To learn more about the Business Starts & Growth initiative, our city-led strategies and intended impact, please contact Santiago Carrillo.
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