Issue 14 | October 12, 2022

Event to Support BIPOC-Owned Businesses

On Oct. 27, Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance will host an event celebrating the official kick-off of the Flint & Genesee Business Bridge, a digital directory for businesses owned by someone who is Black, Indigenous and/or a person of color (BIPOC).

Like the directory, the event is designed to help these minority-owned businesses make connections, find resources and promote their businesses to area buyers.

“At its core, the Business Bridge is about connecting people,” said Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, a division of Flint & Genesee Group. “We’ve heard from our larger companies and organizations, who have said that they want to ensure they’re working with BIPOC-owned businesses. This helps them do that. At the same time, it helps these businesses get access to customers, contracts and resource providers.”

Latest News

Lead Now Kicks Off Ninth Year with 2022-23 Cohort

Eight area professionals will spend the next several months honing their leadership skills through Lead Now Flint & Genesee. The introspective leadership development program, which is offered through Flint & Genesee Group, kicked off its ninth cohort in September.

“While the workforce landscape has changed drastically in recent years, the need for effective leaders remains a constant,” said Brianna Mosier, director of Organizational Development at Flint & Genesee Group. “It’s exciting to see a new cohort of leaders make the decision to invest in their development. By the time the program ends next spring, the cohort members, their employers and our community will be stronger because of it.”

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FACES of Flint & Genesee Business: Ohunwa Carthan, Caribo Services

Twenty years ago, Ohunwa Carthan was a recently divorced single mother looking for quality, affordable housing in the Flint area. She struggled to find a place for her and her children to live, and at that moment, she promised herself if she ever had the chance to help people in the same situation she would. And in 2019, she got her chance.

“I had some extra money and started thinking about starting a property management company,” says Carthan. “I started off buying two houses from a friend of mine and later that year bought two more.”

Now, Carthan runs 40 properties through Caribo Services. The properties the company manages are available through the State of Michigan’s section 8 housing and the company works with the Flint Housing Commission and the Red Cross to get people in need into secure and safe housing.

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October is National Women's Small Business Month

Did you know that 49 percent of small businesses in Genesee County are owned by women? That’s slightly above the national trend. As of 2019, 13 million women-owned businesses represented about 42 percent of all U.S. businesses.

As noted in Flint & Genesee Group’s latest column for the Flint Township View, “That wasn’t always the case ... In 1972, women owned just 400,000 businesses in the U.S. And until 1988, they needed a male relative to co-sign when applying for a business loan.”

So, with October being National Women’s Small Business Month, Flint & Genesee Group is shining a light on the importance of supporting and investing in women-owned businesses. Our organization and its divisions do this throughout the year by providing small business support and networking opportunities, including the Flint & Genesee Chamber Women’s Leadership Committee, which focuses on networking, professional development and community service. Additionally, the Chamber will be highlighting women-owned businesses on social media throughout the month of October.

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Business Community Invited to See Afterschool in Action

On any given weekday in Michigan, thousands of children will go unsupervised between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. That’s roughly the same time students in YouthQuest are eating a nutritious dinner, going on field trips and engaging in activities that encourage them to explore new interests.

To showcase its impact, the local afterschool program will host multiple public events this month as part of Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide rally that underscores the need to invest in afterschool programs.

This is a great opportunity for members of the business community to see afterschool in action. Not only do programs like YouthQuest provide support for families, including working parents, they also play an important role in preparing the workforce of tomorrow with soft skills and career exploration opportunities. 

Public events will be held from Oct. 20-31. For details, click here. Please RSVP at (810) 600-1422.

Upcoming Events

Business News

Oct. 21 – African American Advisory Committee Meeting

Oct. 26 – Self-Awareness & Implicit Bias Workshop

Oct. 27 – After Hours Wine Down

• Pints & Politics

Nov. 3 – Art of Achievement Awards

People and businesses on the move

FLINT & GENESEE GROUP