Kaiser Permanente and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) are inviting local business owners in Greater Baltimore and surrounding communities to apply to the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program – a tuition-free, 40-hour “mini-MBA” program that combines executive education, webinars and coaching delivered by top-ranking university professors and local experts. The program is particularly relevant this year as many local businesses owned by people of color and women have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ICCC’s 2022 Baltimore cohort is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and implemented in partnership with the Baltimore Mayor’s Office Small, Minority, and Women Business. The program is designed to help businesses in communities facing economic injustice to develop strategies that build their capacity for sustainable growth and create opportunities to connect with capital sources to help create jobs locally.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we know that when our local businesses are healthy, our communities and residents have a better chance of achieving total health. The ICCC training program allows us to support local communities by helping diverse businesses grow and thrive,” said Ondrea McIntyre-Hall, senior director, Community Health, Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic. “Supporting these businesses bring jobs and important services to our communities. We have also seen the participants in this program support their communities with vital services like childcare and affordable housing. We are thrilled to partner with ICIC to invest in the future of Baltimore.”
Edna Fleming, vice president and COO, Fleming Transportation Company who is a Baltimore ICCC alumnus, said that the ICCC program offered her a chance to learn how to move her multi-purpose transportation business forward.
“The ICCC Program left an impact on me both professionally and personally. The program offers a curriculum that is well structured and challenging, and it gives business owners the opportunity to gain experienced advice and to showcase their products and/or services,” said Fleming.
The 2022 cohort marks the fifth time ICCC has been offered to the region’s small businesses since 2018. Baltimore is home to 291 ICCC alumni that have averaged 58% growth in revenue and raised $6.52M in capital since their participation in the program. The ICCC 2021 Baltimore cohort included 83% Black, indigenous or person of color-owned and 54% woman-owned businesses.
“ICIC is proud to continue to partner with Kaiser Permanente toward our shared vision for a more equitable and inclusive society,” said Steve Grossman, CEO, ICIC. “Together, we are creating sustainable small business ecosystems in the region’s most economically vulnerable communities by providing hundreds of historically untapped local entrepreneurs access to tuition-free executive training, connection to a robust national alumni network, and the ability to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.”
Entrepreneurs accepted into the program will participate in 40 hours of high-impact virtual learning that is divided into four components designed to maximize each participant’s experience and accommodate their busy schedules. The Baltimore cohort opens with two half-day seminars on June 28 and June 30, taught by leading business professors. Throughout the program, participants engage in webinars, digital learning sessions and one-on-one business coaching appointments that tackle immediate challenges. The program culminates with a virtual national conference that focuses on building strategies of resilience and connecting with capital providers.
Kaiser Permanente has long supported the ICCC program and other community initiatives that seek to advance economic opportunity. This year’s program begins shortly after Kaiser Permanente announced a $400 million commitment to extend the organization’s efforts to economic development and affordable housing.
The application deadline for the ICCC 2022 Baltimore cohort is June 3. Visit ICIC’s website for additional detail about the ICCC program including eligibility criteria and applications.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve almost 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
About 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 in revenue, profitability, and employment. ICCC is uniquely designed to provide three critical elements for sustainable growth: Capacity-building education, One-on-one coaching, and Connections to capital and capital providers.
