Women make up 47% of the population but own only 11.4% of Colorado businesses.
We have to understand why these disparities exist and what factors are driving them. We’re committed to starting and growing more small businesses owned by women and people of color by removing the barriers we’ve identified to date. Join us in this work to make Colorado the best place for a woman or person of color to own a business.
Goals
Increase racial/ethnic business ownership.
Eliminate gender disparity in business ownership.
Best Practices
Establish mentorships and coaching relationships.
Develop targeted networking opportunities with successful entrepreneurs.
Build relationships and provide exposure to start-up and small business networks.
Establish new/better partnerships between BIPOC entrepreneurs and traditional lenders.
Bridge the access to funding through banks, lenders, philanthropy.
Create a resource-sharing program for back-office support geared towards small businesses.
Provide and market learning opportunities through community organizations, chambers, etc.
Improve access, proximity, and availability of training and support services for small businesses.
Provide resources for larger businesses to identify diverse suppliers, vendors, etc.