Our Mission

To support the development and growth of minority entrepreneurs in a manner that leads to the creation of jobs in sustainable businesses and ultimately generates wealth for the owners, their families, and their communities.

The Entrepreneurship Center Program (ECP), with its focus on accelerating the growth of Black-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs, has become an even more crucial component in the quest for improved quality of life and economic resilience.

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2025 Empowerment Goal:

Every American has access to jobs with a living wage and good benefits

30,872

participants served in 2023 through counseling & training sessions

$110M

in financing & contracting opportunities

2,802

full-time/part-time jobs saved or created

Through training and support, the ECP filled vital gaps created during the COVID-19 crisis, such as a lack of access to capital, ineffective financial and/or operating systems, and weak management skills; and serving as a grantmaker, we awarded cash grants through public and private funds to small businesses.

Black Restaurant Accelerator Program (BRAP): Launched in partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation, this $10 million, 5-year program addresses systemic barriers faced by Black-owned food service companies.

Thirteen Urban League affiliates, funded by the National Urban League’s signature Entrepreneurship Center Program, provide management counseling, mentoring, and training services geared toward the development of management skills that will enable minority entrepreneurs to grow their businesses, obtain financing or contracts, and preserve or create jobs.

2023 Entrep Fact SheetEntrepreneurship Center Fact Sheet

 

Success Stories

Initiatives

Urban Capital Readiness Program

The National Urban League believes that small business ownership is key to closing the racial wealth gap. To support entrepreneurs in the communities that we serve, we have launched the Urban Capital Readiness Program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

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Urban Appraisers Initiative

The National Urban League has developed a program that seeks to diversify the appraisal field by creating opportunities for Black trainees looking to complete their certification or start an appraisal business.

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Urban Empowerment Fund

The Urban Empowerment Fund (UEF) helps Minority Business Enterprises (MBE's) gain access to capital, survive, prosper, grow, create jobs, and generate individual and community wealth.

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Restaurant Accelerator

In partnership with PepsiCo Foundation, the National Urban League has launched the Restaurant Accelerator Program to help address systemic barriers faced by minority-owned food service companies. The Program will include the coaching and training services needed to help these businesses build an actionable plan for growth, and with the objective of profitability and sustainability.

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CARES Act Program Small Business Webinar Series

The National Urban League has launched a virtual series to support small businesses interested in resources available under the CARES Act to assist with their recovery from the effects of COVID19. Signed into law in March 2020, the CARES Act provided billions of federal dollars in relief to small businesses facing economic disruption to their operations due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Funding for CARES Act was provided by the Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency.

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Advancing Black Entrepreneurs

We’re excited to announce a new partnership with Chase for Business to offer Advancing Black Entrepreneurs — a timely education program designed to help Black business owners recover and move forward in the wake of the current global pandemic.

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