Small business owners in Baltimore and Washington, DC are invited to apply to a program from Kaiser Permanente and the Inner City Capital Connections, which offers tuition-free executive leadership training for business owners in communities experiencing economic injustice. The program offers business owners strategies to build capacity for sustainable growth, opportunities to connect with capital sources and access to a network of business coaches. The programs in Baltimore and DC are currently accepting applicants for the 2020-2021 program. The deadline to apply is August 4.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entrepreneurs selected for this cohort will participate in virtual learning opportunities including multi-day seminars led by top-flight business professors; one-on-one business coaching appointments that tackle immediate challenges; and a culminating national conference that focuses on building strategies of resilience and connecting with capital providers.
Funding for the program is part of a $100 million commitment that Kaiser Permanente announced in June to advance racial equity, strengthen businesses led by people of color to help them overcome systemic economic disadvantage and to support them in the wake of COVID-19. This is the third year and the fifth cohort of businesses in the ICCC programs in DC and Baltimore with Kaiser Permanente as a funding partner.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we know that health and financial stability are inextricably linked. Creating pathways for small businesses to grow is critical to the well-being of our community,” said Celeste James, executive director of Community Health. “Our strategic community health investments aim to strengthen the economic infrastructure of the communities we serve so that families and businesses can thrive. We’re proud to support the hardworking entrepreneurs who want to emerge from this pandemic stronger and better equipped to weather unexpected challenges.”
To be eligible for the ICCC program, a business must be:
- An independent, for-profit or non-profit corporation, partnership or proprietorship
- Located in Washington, D.C. or Baltimore and have its headquarters or more than 51% of its physical operations located in an economically distressed area or have more then 40% of employees residing in an economically distressed area
- Past the proof-of-concept or survival state
- In operation for two years or more. ICCC does not accept start-up companies
Small business owners with businesses that fit this profile can apply at apply.iccapitalconnections.org. Nominations for businesses that fit the profile can be made at nominate.iccapitalconnections.org.
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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 12.3 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente 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, please go to kp.org.
