As we look back on this year through the lens of shared appreciation and hard-earned progress, a central insight stands out across our ecosystem— BIPOC businesses thrive where community support is accessible, consistent, and intentional.

In an environment shaped by economic uncertainty and increased pressure on nonprofit and small-business ecosystems, the role of community support has never been more important.

For BIPOC entrepreneurs, business owners, and nonprofit leaders, community is more than network, it is infrastructure. Access to knowledge, capital and mentorship often determines whether a business survives, scales or disappears. 

At EDACT, we have seen firsthand what happens when communities rally around each other: innovation accelerates, capacity strengthens, and economic mobility becomes attainable rather than aspirational.

Celebrating a Year of Collective Impact and Economic Empowerment

Through our financial literacy programs, business development support, and technical assistance initiatives, we’ve supported more than two hundred participants this year, each demonstrating how shared learning and resource access can transform outcomes. From digital marketing and capital-readiness training to nonprofit capacity building and partnership support, real progress occurs when business owners feel seen, supported, and connected.

In community spaces, and events such as the Pan-African U.S. Business & Investment Summit (PAUSBIS), we witnessed entrepreneurs strengthen their confidence, expand their networks, and collaborate in ways that elevated not only individual businesses but entire community ecosystems. These experiences reinforced a core truth: economic empowerment is a collective process.

Through our financial literacy programs, business development support, and technical assistance initiatives, we’ve supported more than two hundred participants this year, each demonstrating how shared learning and resource access can transform outcomes. From digital marketing and capital-readiness training to nonprofit capacity building and partnership support, real progress occurs when business owners feel seen, supported, and connected.

In community spaces, and events such as the Pan-African U.S. Business & Investment Summit (PAUSBIS), we witnessed entrepreneurs strengthen their confidence, expand their networks, and collaborate in ways that elevated not only individual businesses but entire community ecosystems. These experiences reinforced a core truth: economic empowerment is a collective process.

Why Community Support Must Continue

When community support is strong, businesses remain more resilient in the face of shocks, funding cuts, or economic instability , a reality felt across the nonprofit and small-business sector this year. 

For BIPOC communities especially, community support is often the bridge to opportunity in environments where traditional pathways remain constrained.

Community support leads to:

•  Increased access to capital and resources
•  Shared skills and learning across business owners
•  Stronger, more credible networks
•  Sustainable business growth and job creation
•  Leadership development and inter-community collaboration
•  

These outcomes shape the equitable future we are building, one where BIPOC talent and innovation are fully recognized and supported

At EDACT, we remain committed to expanding access and opportunity by investing in community-centered business development, training, and capacity-building programs. 

Through our Learning Platform, we continue to offer free and accessible courses, including our Digital Marketing and Financial Literacy Program, designed to strengthen BIPOC businesses and empower leaders with skills that translate into long-term success.

Unlock New Skills With Our Free Learning Resources

If you are a business owner, nonprofit leader, or emerging entrepreneur looking to grow, connect, or develop essential skills, we invite you to access our free learning resources and upcoming community programs

↘️ Explore our variety of courses and join a supportive learning community committed to shared progress.

Visit our Learning Platform and get started

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