CHARLOTTE — A group has set a goal of supporting 1 million Black-owned businesses in the U.S. by 2030.
On Tuesday, the City of Charlotte announced it’s going to be part of that initiative from Operation Hope.
William McNeely is the owner of Creative Lab Coffee.
“So, for me, I wanted to create the space that I didn’t have, which is a space of entrepreneurship,” he said.
His coffee shop was born under his nonprofit Do Greater Charlotte.
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“We started the business inside our nonprofit so that we could literally attract kids into our Creative Lab to help our kids to become creative entrepreneurs, innovators of the future,” McNeely said.
And with a recent partnership, he’ll be able to continue to give to Black students.
“As the city and Operation Hope started to look into this initiative of really supporting 1 million Black businesses by 2030, it’s natural for us to be involved,” McNeely said.
Charlotte is one of many cities partnering with Operation Hope to start, scale, and grow 1 million businesses across the nation.
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“Charlotte has committed to referring 1,000 businesses, so we’re excited and happy for that,” said Joan Massey, the senior vice president of Operation Hope.
Massey said this collaboration will connect Black business owners to endless resources that are not often available.
“They can receive one-on-one coaching,” she said. “We have coaches here on the ground as well as through our virtual network. They can receive mentoring access to capital.”
Massey said this is an opportunity to create economic growth for businesses owners who are often overlooked.
“This coalition of the willing is meant to support our businesses in a way that has not been done before, and we’re really happy too Charlotte has joined in,” she said.
“We believe that Operation Hope and the City of Charlotte can provide us as an organization resource, mentoring -- a variety of different opportunities for our youth and our creative professionals,” McNeely said.
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