The “Where It Starts” program is designed to create solutions tailored to the specific needs of specific businesses.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Monday, the Truist Foundation announced a $22 million initiative to break down barriers for minority-owned businesses.
The collaborative project will begin in Charlotte, but its impact will spread to cities such as Atlanta, Memphis and Miami to create resilience in forgotten corridors and neighborhoods.
The “Where It Starts” program is designed to create solutions tailored to the specific needs of specific businesses.
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Lynette Bell, president of the Truist Foundation, explained that the money will be awarded to three groups. The Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), City of Living, and Main Street America all work with segments of the population and businesses to eliminate financial inequality and blaze a trail in industries or professions that remain underrepresented.
“How do we help those people upscale or rescale for this job and industry,” Bell said.
The commitment is a six-year investment that will also be extended to other metropolitan areas.
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Twin sisters Loyce Shelley and Joyce Brandon started their business in Memphis 14 years ago. They recall the barriers that will now be removed through this initiative, providing them with opportunity and access to generational wealth.
“It has the opportunity to make a generational difference in the lives of the future, with an impact far beyond Charlotte or Memphis,” Shelley said.
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