U.S. Bank Partners with Park Central Development to invest $100,000 In the ‘EOBC’ Grove Retail Incubator and Business Center for Minority Female Entrepreneurs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Abdul Abdullah

Park Central Development Corporation

4512 Manchester, St. Louis, MO 63110

314.239.1400

U.S. Bank Partners with Park Central Development to invest $100,000 In the ‘EOBC’ Grove Retail Incubator and Business Center for Minority Female Entrepreneurs

U.S. Bank Foundation recently made a $100,000 capital investment into the Grove Retail Incubator to support Grove Retail Incubator for minority female early-stage startups to provide market exposure, investment and strategic partnerships to showcase their products in a physical store in St. Louis' progressive "Grove" Commercial District.

Interested participants should attend the upcoming Eric Outlaw Business Center Retail Incubator Mixer and Pitch Prep for on May 31, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Heydays HQ, located at 3139 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 to receive more information.

“This is an investment into female entrepreneurs with retail businesses to receive retail space and guidance needed to launch their businesses and be a part of the small businesses community that is the backbone of the St. Louis Region. I am proud of U.S. Bank and their commitment to women, but also to new small businesses as they navigate the challenges of creating sustainable long term successful small businesses," said Jami Cox Antwi, Assistant Vice President with U.S. Bank CDC.

The EOBC Grove Retail Incubator is open to minority women retail business owners with less than five years of experience, with companies that are privately held and wholly owned with revenues of less than $200,000 per year.

Launched in Summer of 2023 by Park Central Development, The Eric Outlaw Business Center (EOBC) and Grove Retail Incubator, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Economic Development, provides placed based technical & capital assistance to small business owners with existing brick and mortar storefronts, as well as providing minority female entrepreneurs in the City of St. Louis with a small retail businesses the opportunity to receive technical assistance and capital to launch their small businesses into its own Brick and mortar storefront. Through the Business Center Park Central has assisted 46 businesses with brick-and-mortar storefronts with over $250,000 in direct capacity building grants over the past 12 months.

About Park Central Development

Park Central Development (PCD) is a 501 c3 community development corporation that works to strengthen and attract investment that creates and maintains equitable vibrant urban neighborhoods and commercial districts where people want to live, work and play.

We do this through:

· Community Engagement

· Neighborhood Planning & Services

· Major Infrastructure Projects & Improvements

· Administration of Commercial, Business and Special taxing districts

· Technical assistance to the investors to facilitate private investment in the community

Park Central’s administers commercial district that have a $125 million economic impact in retail St. Louis Annually in the St. Louis Region.

About the Eric Outlaw Business Center and Incubator

The EOBC offers access to funding, mentorship, networking opportunities, and specialized training and coaching through the IEL Program for entrepreneurs of color.