Meta Launches New Initiative to Support Asian and Pacific Islander Businesses 

Coinciding with National Small Business Week and during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Meta announced the launch of Meta Prosper to build a community for Asian and Pacific Islander (API) owned small businesses. The program will be published in six languages and will help bring visibility to API businesses and entrepreneurs.  

Source: Meta 

 

Digital Tools Critical to Growth of Women-Owned Businesses 

In a recent blog post, Women Impacting Public Policy President and CEO Candace Waterman discussed the organization’s commitment to supporting female entrepreneurs. She also shared current data on how women entrepreneurs utilized digital tools to grow their businesses, especially during the pandemic.

Source: WIPP.org 

 

Black Unemployment Rate Dropped to Pandemic-Era Low in April 

The overall labor recovery continued strongly in April, with the Black unemployment rate dipping to 5.9% in April, a pandemic-era low. The overall unemployment rate held steady at 3.6% nationwide.  The new statistics are a positive sign that many small businesses are having more success hiring workers than before.

Source: CNBC.com 

 

Illinois Governor Announces $250 Million in Grants to Pandemic Impacted Businesses. 

As part of National Small Business Week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity would award $250 in grants through its Back to Business Program. Over 6500 small businesses will receive the funds, many of those in communities disproportionally impacted by the pandemic. 

Source: WCIA.com 

 

Google Offering up to $100,000 in Career Certifications Scholarships to Small Businesses. 

Google will offer every U.S. small business scholarships worth up to $100,000 through its certification program. The goal is to help businesses provide more digital tools training to their employees. 

Source: Small Business Trends