Interview: Small Business Development Center's Inclusivity Project

Martina Del Bonta interviews Chris Horton initiative leader

CITY BY THE BAY IT JUST LOOKSABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS THISMORNING TO SEE SAN FRANCISCOFOX 40 SMALL BUSINESS WEEK ISFOCUSING ON THE SHOPS ANDRESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN HIT SOHARD BY THE PANDEMIC BUT WE'RENOT THE ONLY ONES REACHING OUTTO HELP CHRIS HORTON IS ANINITIATIVE LEADER WITHINCLUSIVITY PROJECT WITH ANORTHERN CALIFORNIA SMALLBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERGOOD MORNING TO YOU CHRIS.GOOD MORNING.

SO THIS ISREALLY INTERESTING YOU CREATEDTHIS IN CLOSE INCLUSIVITYPROJECT WHAT DOES THIS PROJECTMEAN AND HOW DOES THIS AFFECTTHE COMMUNITY.

ABSOLUTELY WELLTHANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ANDGIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TOEXPLAIN.THE INCLUSIVITY PROJECT ISA CHALLENGE IT'S A CHALLENGETO THE SPDC ECOSYSTEM TO BEABLE TO GO INTO THE BLACK ANDAFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIESAND ABLE TO PROVIDE THEMACCESS TO TOOLS RESOURCES ANDTHAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILYKNOW EVEN EXIST AND IT WHATWHAT IT'S MEANT TO DO IS INRESPONSE TO COVID-19 BACK INFEBRUARY THERE WERE MORE THAN1 MILLION BLACK OWNEDBUSINESSES IN THIS COUNTRY BYNET APRIL MORE THAN 440,000 OFTHOSE BUSINESSES SHUT THEIRDOORS PERMANENTLY AND SO ITWAS A CALL TO ACTION FOR SPDCAND OUR LEGAL SYSTEM TO BEAFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY ANDBE ABLE PROVIDE THEM SOMETOOLS AND RESOURCES TO HELPTHEM THRIVE AND SUCCEED.SO WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSOWNERS ARE YOU LOOKING TO HELPOUT IS IT MOSTLY ENTREPRENEURSARE HOPING GET INVOLVED WITHTHIS.A GOOD QUESTION SO WE'RELOOKING AT FREE VENTURE IF YOUJUST HAVE AN IDEA WE CAN HELPCRYSTALLIZE AN IDEA ANDACTUALLY GO ON INTOTRANSACTING BUSINESS YOU AREVERY SINCE ONE YEAR 2 YEARSAND YOU'RE JUST GETTINGSTARTED AND WE CAN HELP YOUWITH SOME MOMENTUM OR YOU'REYOU ARE MORMONS FOR BUSINESSAND YOU'VE BEEN AROUND FORSOME TIME AND WE'RE WE'RESERVICE SEEN ALL ALL SOTHERE'S NOTHING WHAT LIMIT YOUCORPORATION SOLE PROPRIETORSSEE CORPS HAS FORCE FROM HOMESO THE GOAL IS TO KEEP PEOPLESUCCESSFUL.

BUT YOU ALSO WANTTO HELP LAUNCH RIGHT YOU ALSOGET SOME IDEAS GOING IN ANDPUT THE ACTION PLAN INTOOPERATION RIGHT.

ABSOLUTELY IMEAN WE YOU KNOW 440,000BUSINESSES THAT WERE LOSTTHERE'S NO IN A SHORT PERIODOF TIME WE'RE GOING TO ABLE TOREPLENISH ALL OF WE CAN'T GETTHE BALL MOVING IN THE RIGHTDIRECTION BY GETTING OUT ANDGOING TAKING US TO THEAFRICAN-AMERICAN BLACKCOMMUNITY ALMOST LIKE A REALGRASS ROOTS TYPE EFFORT.DOESN'T COST ANYTHING TOGET INVOLVED CARES ABOUT THISJUST BECAUSE YOU HEAR A LOT OFSMALL BUSINESSES SAY I DIDN'TKNOW THAT HELP WAS OUT THERE IDIDN'T KNOW I COULD FINDSOMEONE TO HELP ME DOES ITCOST ANYTHING WHERE ARE YOUGUYS GETTING THE FUNDING.ABSOLUTELY.THERE IS NO COST THIS ISPEOPLE'S TAXPAYER MONEYALREADY KEEN FOR WE'REPARTIALLY THROUGH THE SMALLBUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ANDPARTIALLY FUNDED BY GOVERNOR'SOFFICE THROUGH OUR TECHNICALASSISTANCE EXPANSION PROGRAMSO COMPLETELY COMPLIMENTARY ONALL THE SERVICES THATCOUNSELING AND TUTORINGEDUCATION YOU'VE ALREADY PAIDFOR WITH YOUR TAX DOLLARS.ALL RIGHT CHRIS HORNE THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH USTHIS MORNING YOU THAT MISSIONLEADER WITH INCLUSIVITYPROJECT I LOVE WAY YOU'REDOING AND I WISH YOU ALL THEBEST OF LUCK WITH THANK YOUTHANK YOU SO MUCH AND ONLY ONFOX 40 IN ALL OF OUR NEWSCAST.WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING OURLOCAL BUSINESSES BY FEATURINGSTORIES FROM BUSINESS OWNERSACROSS REGION TO ARESTRUGGLING OR HAVE FOUND A WAYTO THRIVE DURING THESEDIFFICULT TIMES.

JOIN US FOR ASPECIAL FOX 40 LIVE SPECIALTONIGHT, SMALL BUSINESSESSURVIVING THE PANDEMIC IT WILLBE AT 7 O'CLOCK TONIGHT ATEXCITING TO SEE IT BECAUSE IKNOW EVERYONE IN THE STATIONHERE WORKING REALLY HARD TOTRY.

SHOWCASE OUR SMALLBUSINESSES ABSOLUTELY 7O'CLOCK TONIGHT YOUR CALENDAR.