Starting Businesses & Sustaining Community

On February 26, WFM hosted Building Black Futures, a webinar sponsored by BMO that put a spotlight the importance of building intergenerational wealth in the Black community. Briana K. Joyner, WFM executive vice president of people and culture, hosted a discussion with Dr. Terresa Moses and Dionne Sims, who shared their experiences as entrepreneurs, transferring ownership of Black Garnet Books, and their insights on building and sustaining a local business and working in community.

While February and Black History Month draw to a close, we celebrate and honor Black brilliance, history, and futures in our work every day, as Briana K. Joyner said at the beginning of our discussion. We are grounded in the knowledge that Black Americans, women, and people with intersecting identities have suffered setbacks over time and still today, and yet we persist with joy and connectedness. The resilience that lives in our communities joins with our values of hope and courage into the positive energy we need to continue Building Black Futures for a stronger Minnesota.

If you weren’t able to join the webinar, our conversation highlighted the importance of investing in entrepreneurs, local businesses, and the vision of young leaders. Dr. Terresa Moses and Dionne Sims shared stories of starting businesses and sustaining their spirits. Their story of creating and transitioning ownership of Black Garnet Books in the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul shows us that the struggle and fragility of owning a Black business is part of the journey. They crushed the myth of “going it alone,” and shared that the joy and reward have come through nurturing relationships, history, and community. The owners of Golden Thyme cafe were mentors who showed Dionne that “in order to continue the legacy of Blackness, it’s important for us to listen to the people who’ve been doing it for longer than we have. And to really make sure that while we’re honoring history, we’re still honoring that living present history as well.”

Our speakers shared how necessary it is to change systems to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs, such as eliminating grants that require a 1:1 match. Dionne received a Neighborhood STAR grant from the City of Saint Paul, but pushed back on the policy, and eventually, the city changed the program. “Sometimes it takes it takes receiving systemic support to realize all of the things that are standing in the way of other people receiving systemic support,” she said.

A special thank you to Denisse Pachuca and BMO for sponsoring this event. If you weren’t able to attend, please enjoy the recording and stay tuned for more Women’s Foundation events in community. 

We asked our speakers to share resources, and ways to get involved. We asked our speakers to share resources, and ways to get involved. We’ve collected those for you here, along with some of our own!
 
Resources:

• Supports for local business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs include: African Development Center, Center for Economic Inclusion, Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce, Black Business Enterprises,  Main Street Alliance, as well as local and neighborhood chamber of commerce organizations 
• Status of Women and Girls+ in Minnesota – Produced by WFM and the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy at the Humphrey School, find more research in this survey of economics, safety, health, and leadership data for women, girls, and gender-expansive people in Minnesota.
  • Check out the Executive Summary
• BMO Zero Barriers to Business – Increasing the accessibility of loans, resources, and networking opportunities.
• Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) – A WFM grantee-partner, NDC leads entrepreneur training, business loans and services, as well as incubators and real estate assistance.

Actions: 

If you’re looking to directly support the causes and communities you care about, please consider supporting the Women’s Foundation and the organizations you heard from today!

• Support Black Garnet Books, an independent bookstore in Saint Paul, MN at 1319 University Ave. W.
• Blackbird Revolt, co-founded by Dr. Terresa Moses, creates designs that shift culture and build power. 
• Donate, collaborate, follow, and support policy and funding to accelerate investment in wealth creation for Black women and women of color, and gender-expansive people.
• You can donate to support our investments in Economic Justice, from girlsBEST to We Thrive, which funds education in high-wage fields where women are underrepresented like STEM and the trades, and NDC‘s investment in women of color entrepreneurs.
• Consider opening a donor advised fund (DAF) and take your philanthropy further with collective impact by contacting Polina Montes de Oca.