New resources for minority entrepreneurs to be unveiled at Small Business Resource Mixer at The Opportunity Center

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CHARLESTON, S.C. — To celebrate May 2024 as National Small Business Month, and to bring new resources to small and minority-owned business owners in the Lowcountry, the Lowcountry Minority Business Partnership (LMBP), led by the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development (SCACED), Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce (CMCC), and Coastal Community Foundation (CCF), is hosting a Small Business Resource Mixer, “Capital Conversations,” at The Opportunity Center in North Charleston on Friday, May 10.

The event will feature a robust lineup of small business resource providers who assist entrepreneurs with operations, marketing, and accessing capital. Attendees will have the ability to directly connect with these support organizations and receive complimentary services. Resource providers and funders who will be on-site include:

• Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments
• Lowcountry Local First
• City of Charleston
• South Carolina Community Loan Fund
• CommunityWorks
• South Carolina Chamber of Commerce
• BlacQuity
• South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• REV Credit Union
• RDM Solutions
• Latina Bazaar Market
• Necessary Actions Consulting
• Real Estate House International
• City of North Charleston

The event will also feature the much-anticipated launch of the Ecosystem Resource Guide, a new platform that helps Lowcountry entrepreneurs navigate the many agencies and resources available to find the specific assistance they need to enhance their business. Attendees will also learn about two new programs available supporting minority entrepreneurs – the Cummins CARE Loan Program and CMCC’s Minority Business Accelerator Program.

Before allowing time for networking and connecting with funders and resource providers, the event program culminates with a success panel of local entrepreneurs discussing their personal testimonies of how the resources available at the event have transformed their business operations.

The Lowcountry Minority Business Partnership aims to connect, empower, and inspire a network of minority entrepreneurs, with an intentional focus on supporting new & existing businesses in the Lowcountry throughout all stages of their lifecycle. This event is part of LMBP’s work to develop an ecosystem for Lowcountry minority entrepreneurs.

Various funders have supported SCACED and Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s ecosystem development work. Funders who have supported SCACED’s ecosystem development include First Citizens Bank, JP Morgan Chase, TD Bank, and Wells Fargo. Funders who have supported CMCC’s ecosystem development include Bank of America and Pinnacle Financial Partners.

“We are excited to introduce this ecosystem of support resources to entrepreneurs from around the Lowcountry,” said SCACED President & CEO Bernie Mazyck. “This event represents the hard work and dedication of all the partners in the Lowcountry Minority Business Partnership to better support the area’s minority business owners.”

“I’m extremely proud of how each of our partners came together to build this ecosystem for minority entrepreneurs,” said Chantelle Broughton, Small Business Development Coordinator at SCACED. “This is only the beginning of a new support system for entrepreneurs in the Lowcountry.”

About SCACED (www.scaced.org)
SCACED is a coalition of over 200 individuals and organizations who support the development of healthy and economically sustainable communities throughout South Carolina. For 30 years, SCACED and its members have worked collaboratively to build wealth and create economic opportunity for all SC residents including a focus on minority communities and other groups who have been left out of the economic mainstream.