Main Spotlight: Breaking Barriers to Acquiring Commercial Properties
Creating real change in business ownership starts with local communities leading the way, backed by strong partnerships and collaborations.
Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Building
Where It Starts: Breaking Barriers to Business
Along with Living Cities and enabled by the Truist Foundation, Main Street America is supporting cross-sector leaders in accelerating wealth-building pathways for underserved small business owners, including entrepreneurs of color.
© Jopwell/Pexels
Program Overview
Partnering with place-based leaders from our current networks in local government and business support organizations, this project aims to:
- Address the gaps in access to capital
- Shift private and public policies and practices
- Provide critical technical assistance for underserved small business owners, including entrepreneurs of color
Together with our partners, we are helping to map key entrepreneurial ecosystem domains, identify gaps, provide financial support and technical business expertise, and foster peer learning for participating cities.
The Cities
Atlanta, Georgia
Corridors: Sweet Auburn, Grove Park, West End
Charlotte, North Carolina
Corridors: Beatties Ford/Historic West End, West Boulevard/Greater West Corridor, Sugar Creek
Memphis, Tennessee
Corridors: Orange Mound, Whitehaven, Downtown or Alcy Ball
Miami, Florida
Corridors: Allapattah, Overtown, Coconut Grove (West Grove)
Nashville, Tennessee
Corridors: Wedgewood-Houston / Chestnut Hill (Historic Black Bottom), Jefferson Street Corridor/North Nashville, Antioch Corridor/Southeast Nashville.
Stories from the Corridors
As we learn what it takes to drive changes in participating pilot cities, we will uplift lessons, data, and stories. We’ll post these stories on the program webpage, our blog, and through social media.
Community Spotlight: Allapattah Collaborative CDC
Learn how the Little Santo Domingo neighborhood of Miami is working with the Truist Foundation to strengthen pathways to small business ownership.
© Allapattah CDC
Community Spotlight: West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition in Charlotte, N.C.
Learn how this organization is uplifting business owners and preventing displacement.
Charlotte, NC © Pixabay
Program Partner
Living Cities is a collaborative of 19 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in American cities.
We use our vast network to connect with leaders across the public, private and philanthropic sectors to embed anti-racist policies and practices in institutions. Together, we work to tackle the root causes of systemic inequity in U.S. cities and undo the legacy of racism in our communities.
After three decades of both place-based and people-based work, we believe that all people in U.S. cities can be economically secure; building wealth; and living abundant, dignified, and connected lives.
Supporting Partner
Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.
Truist Foundation is built on the belief that all people and communities should have an equal opportunity to thrive. Through this partnership and a focus on the following key areas, Truist Foundation believes the communities they serve have a chance for a better quality of life.
