Communitas America

We would use the funding and support to advance economic equity and create pathways for generational wealth through social entrepreneurship. We do this by investing in and empowering Bronx changemakers to launch social ventures. We make early-stage investments and provide critical resources in social ventures that create new frameworks of ownership and opportunity within marginalized communities such as the Bronx.

We would provide these resources, networks, and investments through our impact accelerator Our approach is focused on;

Social Impact: We look for founders whose potential for success is directly linked to their potential for social impact. So that business success must also contribute to positive social change, increased ownership, opportunity and empowerment.

Lived experience as a competitive advantage: Our founders have direct knowledge of the communities, systems, and problems they want to address. We've learned that founders with lived experience, rather than an outsider's assumptions, have a deeper sense of urgency and are best-equipped to launch products and services with staying power.

In summary, we are building an equitable impact ecosystem in the Bronx designed for historically marginalized changemakers, such as those who identify as Black, Latinx, and women, that expands access to economic opportunities and sparks innovation.

Born and raised in the Bronx, I have worked in rural incubators and social enterprises in India and China that empowered local changemakers and helped to revitalize their village economies.

I had gone to a high school in the Bronx mostly composed of undocumented students learning English, where I translated my math teacher’s lessons into Spanish while she taught them, and where ‘Teach for America’ teachers couldn’t find paper to print on. I was afraid of being labeled stupid because of my accent, my ancestry, my social economic status, but more importantly because of my educational background.

Our abilities aren’t defined by the limitations imposed onto us. People are more than the numbers of their zip codes; more than their last names; and different accents. We are much more than the opportunity gaps and economic barriers we need to overcome. My purpose is to drive equity and social justice so that vulnerable communities like the Bronx can thrive and families have more economic opportunities and the ability to build generational wealth.  I envision a Bronx that becomes a vital center for innovation, community and that accelerates entrepreneurship and improves the Bronx’s ability to compete and retain local talent.

Entrepreneurship can be a pathway for economic mobility and social change. The pandemic has widened the gap of economic inequality, structural racism and lack of resources for Black and Latinx founders. Particularly for Bronx entrepreneurs, finding the resources, support networks, community and funds to launch or scale a business can be almost impossible.

The Bronx is an incredibly diverse community with the fastest growing immigrant population in the city. Yet, the Bronx is still one of the poorest districts in the nation with school and health outcomes the lowest in the state. The median household income is significantly lower and the unemployment rate higher than the rest of New York City.

We are working to reduce barriers to access, resources, capital, and bridge the wealth gap through social entrepreneurship. We are building an ecosystem where ideas flourish, pathways to success are elevated, and more Black and Latinx entrepreneurs are better positioned to build generational wealth.

We invest capital and resources in Black and Latinx entrepreneurs through our impact accelerator. This creation of wealth, in turn, can be reinvested in local businesses in a virtuous loop that improves access to goods and services, creates jobs and revitalizes neighborhoods.

Eighty three percent of entrepreneurs of color do not access bank loans or venture capital at the time of startup. People of color and women have a tougher time getting businesses off the ground due to systemic barriers that limit access to capital and resources. With greater access and resources, more entrepreneurs of color would thrive.

Decades of structural racism have created a major wealth gap for communities of color and that gap is growing. Traditional investors chronically undervalue or overlook business opportunities in communities of color.

We hope to disrupt these systemic historic barriers in the Bronx. Our work is unique because we bridge the financial and access gaps that have kept entrepreneurs of color on the sidelines of the modern economy. We make early-stage investments in social ventures that create new frameworks of ownership and opportunity within marginalized communities.

Bronx entrepreneurs of color are leading in the efforts to revitalize their neighborhoods and serve as a source of inspiration for other entrepreneurs who look like them, sound like them and more importantly have similar challenges to overcome. Their successes are forging a path for the next generation and inspiring emerging Bronx entrepreneurs to follow their entrepreneurship dreams.

By 2044, the United States will be majority people of color, creating the need for a more inclusive and equitable economy. The Bronx has yet to achieve social equity and economic mobility remains limited for many families. Our impact on humanity is creating new pathways for economic inclusion and mobility.

Too often Bronx entrepreneurs face education, opportunity and experience gaps and are excluded from the jobs, schools and access they need to move up, leaving them stuck in poverty for years. These gaps are persistent and have been amplified with the health and economic fallout from COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected the Bronx.

We will tap into our community’s collective experience, expertise, thought leadership and networks to build better models of change through our accelerator program and innovation space, and ultimately mobilize more resources to accelerate racial equality. We will take deeper dives into issues impacting Bronx changemakers, promote the use of racial and gender lens in the impact sector to transform systems, and strengthen the connections within our community to encourage learning, inspire innovation, and foster collaboration.

We have just launched our 6th cohort and our growing alumni community is already planting the seeds of change throughout the Bronx.