KAISER PERMANENTE SUPPORTS PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN DIVERSE SMALL BUSINESSES
Applications being accepted for Inner City Capital Connections, which provides free training, coaching and connection to business capital
Kaiser Permanente is once again partnering with a national organization, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) to support small businesses. The goal: increasing high-quality jobs in underserved communities and improving overall community health.
Kaiser Permanente support sponsors the organization’s Inner City Capital Connections program (ICCC), which offers local businesses a tuition-free, 40 hour mini-MBA program that combines executive education, webinars, coaching, and avenues to seek capital. The program is open to small businesses in San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County and Fresno County (as well as some surrounding communities) who meet program qualifications and are selected following an application process.
Leaders from the businesses selected to participate will complete a 40-hour training and coaching program that has been proven in other cities to help small businesses accelerate to their next stage of growth.
“We see the connection between economic health and community health. We want to support local business owners and provide resources to help them through this time of new economic and business models due to a healthcare pandemic that will alter our future,” said Corwin Harper, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente Central Valley. “The goal is to help them increase their capacity and stabilize and even grow their companies. This program is one of many ways we can improve the health of our community.”
Considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, ICIC and Kaiser Permanente have made the decision to offer the Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) Central California Opening Seminar as an interactive two-day Virtual Seminar Series.
In addition, Kaiser Permanente’s recent announcement about a series of bold actions to fight racial injustice and economic inequity highlights Kaiser Permanente and ICIC’s ongoing partnership to accomplish these goals which are central to our shared mission.
This program aligns with Kaiser Permanente’s mission to improve the health of the communities we serve.
The ICCC program starts with a virtual opening seminar taught by professors from leading business schools such as Harvard, Dartmouth, and Northwestern universities. This will take place in September. After completing the opening seminar, business owners will continue their learning for about three to six months through online training and business advising from business technical assistance organizations as well as capital providers.
“We’re delighted to work with Kaiser Permanente and many community partners to provide critical educational and capital resources to small businesses struggling to survive and thrive in the current environment,” said Steve Grossman, CEO, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. “Building sustainable small business ecosystems in our most under-resourced communities will improve wellness outcomes and help narrow this country’s racial wealth gap.”
The program culminates in a national conference, which will be presented virtually this year. This brings together participants across the country for networking, education, and connections to capital providers and anchor institutions.
The deadline to apply for the ICCC program is October 9, 2020.
For more information:
Program Qualifications
A business must meet the following criteria to be eligible for participation in ICCC:
- Be an independent, for-profit or non-profit corporation, partnership or proprietorship.
- Has its headquarters or more than 51% of its physical operations located in an economically distressed area or have more than 40% of employees residing in an economically distressed area.
- Has been in operation for two years or more, and past the proof-of-concept stage. Start-up companies are not eligible for this program.
*On a case-by-case basis, ICIC will consider businesses that do not meet all the specified criteria on the recommendation of a nominator.