Entrepreneurship

Advancing Entrepreneurship

CSL maintains a central focus on advancing Black entrepreneurship by helping to close the racial gap of business ownership in America. Our goal is to increase economic mobility and Black wealth building that business ownership affords. One of the best ways to build wealth in the United States is to own your own business. But just 2% of businesses with employees are Black-owned.  This contributes to a significant racial wealth gap in the US, where Black households that make up nearly 16% of the population hold just under 3% of overall wealth. White households, by comparison, hold nearly 87% of the wealth by only represent 68% of the population.

 

Inequality spurs CSL forward. Addressing the entrepreneurship gap starts with creating more awareness of entrepreneurship as a viable option within Black communities and increasing supports for those with interest and drive to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

OUR PROCESS

City Startup Labs’ aspiring entrepreneurs begin with foundational work, then prepare for the rigorous endeavor they’re undertaking, learn startup fundamentals, and finally craft and test a viable business model. They do so by sequencing through the following modules:

CULTIVATION

Who they are & why?

PREPARATION

What will it take?

EDUCATION

How will they get it done?

DEMONSTRATION

Getting it done!

Entrepreneurial Pathways

The ReEntry Entrepreneurship Program (REEP) provides 21st Century workforce development through leading-edge entrepreneurial education and on-trend skills training for justice-involved persons.

FROM THE JOURNAL