the Black Capital Study + Projects
The Black Capital Study + Projects (BCSP) consists of 20+ active projects in service of building capacity for traditional monetary capital access as well as non-monetary types of capital for an Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in and connected to Waterloo, Iowa. Each project demonstrates a commitment to four components:
Evolving Curriculum/Technical Skill Development
Responsive Program delivery
Rigorous Research
Trustworthy Communication
WHAT Would be an example of An Activated project?
The revolving list of 18+ Projects are the tangible outputs that get prioritized as resources, opportunity, time and attention become available because it is believed the impact potential is the greatest at a given point in time. Other projects had historically been part of the list but for various reasons may step in or out of the window of opportunity:
The Changemaker Diary Series (CASE)
Mission Driven Enterprise Accelerator (MDEA)
UNI Entrepreneurial Strategy Service-Learning (ENTR)
UNI Dining Takeover (FOOD)
Our Black History (HIST)
TEDx ReThink Iowa (TEDx)
BCorps for Iowa (BCorp)
Peer-Reviewed Competitions (COMP)
Peer-Reviewed Publications (PUBS)
Map the System (MTS)
Iowa Community Capital (ICC)
Black Capital Data Hub (DATA)
What are the OUTPUTS VS THe Outcomes?
The revolving list of 18+ Projects listed are the tangible outputs that get prioritized as resources, opportunity, time and attention become available. The outcomes, on the other hand, are more abstract and update as we deepen our understanding of Black Capital over time.
It involves:
Goal I. Build a Best in Portfolio featuring each output area
Goal II. Evolve our Innovation System
Goal III. Build a Capture Information System
Goal IV. Deepen our listening and co-creation skills every day
How Are The Study + Projects Financed?
The Black Capital Study + Projects (BCS+P) are financed by a wide variety of different community stakeholders who have made institutional financial as well as in-kind contributions. A number of individuals are also making a personal (and sometimes uncompensated) commitment to building a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem to address inequities in Waterloo, Iowa, and beyond. The first five institutional movers during the first summer of the pandemic in July 2020 included:
City of Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo Community School District
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa CORE
Red Cedar
In August 2020 a strategic collaboration became the steering committee of the Black Business Entrepreneurial Accelerator (BBEA). Today BBEA is the flagship program of Renew Waterloo dba 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium (24/7 BLAC) with most of the steering committee members still serving BBEA's curriculum development, program delivery, as well as research.
Two years later in 2022, the Marion Erwing Kauffman Foundation stepped into the trusted circle of collaborators as a partner to specifically help support building new knowledge frameworks to continue on the growth trajectory with scientific rigor.
Of the five founding entities, Iowa CORE has now assumed the fiscal center of the work.
How is the Study + Projects Governed?
Each initiative has a unique imprint of governance, funding, contributors, and stakeholders. The overarching Black Capital Study + Projects is strategically steered and managed by three social change professionals serving as co-principal investigators (IP):
Dr. Lindi Roelofse - IP & BCS+P Program Director
ReShonda Young - IP & 24/7 BBEA Program Director
Matthew Gilbert, Esq. - IP & Fiscal Agent CEO
Black Captial Study + Projects is one of the initiatives of Iowa CORE, a nonprofit that serves as the legal vehicle and fiscal agent towards building capacity in the greater inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.