BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER

Coming Fall 2023

Investing in individuals to achieve endless possibilities

Innovation. Growth. Entrepreneurship.

Building real community wealth and opportunity by investing in individuals with the knowledge, networks, and resources they need to be sustainable and financially independent.

 

A CATALYST MODEL

PHASE 1: CULTIVATE

Foundational phase educating about personal empowerment through the anchor of household stabilization

PHASE 2: GROW

Helping individuals to achieve personal success and upward mobility with financial, technical, and human capital

PHASE 3: Sustain

Cultivating a rich, self-sustaining local
ecosystem that generates opportunity for all in the community

Phase 1: CULTIVATE

Using the initial resources provided by the government and philanthropic partners, the initial building blocks of community based economic success are founded. These include the educational, financial, social, and tangible elements needed to create and grow businesses and ensuing employment and other economic impacts.

  • Development of individual pathways to success

  • Capital and financial support for start-up companies

  • Low-cost child care center onsite

  • Basic education & career readiness

  • Low-cost incubation space & early-stage mentorship

Phase 2: GROW

Companies flourish as they are armed with all the critical resources needed for success. Not just mentorship, but also the financial, technical, physical, and human capital needed to found a viable and sustainable business located within the community. Individuals will also have access to traditional training and certifications to support employment opportunities in varying industries throughout the region.

  • Cohort-based acceleration

  • Shared-makerspace resources

  • Business network & growth mentorship

  • Workforce development & apprenticeship

Phase 3: SUSTAIN

The model ensures that mechanisms are in place to maintain the value and opportunities for successful businesses to reinvest back into the community. These companies will support the founding and growing of new businesses and generate true community wealth and opportunity.

  • New startups have priority access to serve alumni companies

  • Exponential personal growth and community-owned wealth

  • Local businesses connected to a regional economy

  • Alumni support of next generation with sponsorships, employment, internships, mentorship, up-skilling

A VIRTUOUS CYCLE

To change the community’s trajectory, programs must be self-sustaining and create lasting opportunities for growth within historically underserved, economically & socially disenfranchised community.

 

The Bethune Empowerment Center Model develops sustained economic activity and growth at the individual, household, business, and community levels through:

Workforce development providing pathways to middle-income jobs

Accelerating entrepreneurial and new start-up companies

Generating job growth in the community 

ENGINE FOR IMPACT

 

Engine for growth built on inherent talents and original ideas of the community

Preservation of a diverse community while stemming cycles of poverty

Changing the face of who an entrepreneur is & how they are made

Unleashing the potential of the next generation of black leaders

 

Projected indicators in the first two years of operations:

8

UNDERUTILIZED
ACRES REVITALIZED

100

MWBE
ENTREPRENEURS

200

NEW JOBS
CREATE

$1.5 M

LOANS TO SMALL
BUSINESSES

 

 Mary McLeod Bethune

"Invest in the human soul.

Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.”

As with its namesake, the Bethune Empowerment Center is investing in individuals with the tools to end poverty and achieve limitless possibilities.

 partners

Sponsors