Business Ownership + Entrepreneurship
Despite consistent investment in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the last decade, Grand Rapids fails to attract, retain and scale entrepreneurs and their businesses. This is even more evident in the geographical areas that suffer from low access to opportunity. The ecosystem at-large does not lack the necessary components, rather, the components lack coordination and collaboration that we believe can maximize impact, reduce barriers, and spark opportunity.
Kent County ranks 8th out of 11 peer counties in terms of economic opportunity, in part due to a high uninsured population percentage, low opportunities for job and career advancement, and low median household income.
Minority population is
42%
of Grand Rapids population
Minority ownership
<10%
of Businesses in Grand Rapids in 2017
1
Engage cross-sector partners to design infrastructure and incentives that support resource sharing and synergies in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
2
Support businesses with the potential to scale by supporting them through developing and accessing the right capital stack.
3
Develop a plan to attract larger and scalable minority-owned businesses to Grand Rapids.
4
Support businesses with the needed access to buyers/contracts and back office supports to scale.
Do you believe that it should be normal for everyone in Grand Rapids to thrive and prosper?
On March 26, 2024 our Opportunity Marketplace focused on Business Ownership + Entrepreneurship. The goals of the Opportunity Marketplace were to:
- Share a robust landscape analysis and key strategies towards unlocking more opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs
- Create alignment on key strategies and potential solutions to close disparity gaps in our community
- Engage in robust communication and collaboration with business and community leaders
Join the movement and receive email updates.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.