MIT Solve

Step 2

What is the name of your organization?

Shop-BOB Cares

Is your organization registered as 501(c)(3) status with the IRS?

Yes

In what city, town, or region and state is your organization headquartered?

New York, NY, USA

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address? [Select up to 2]

Business development & procurement: Connecting small business owners to vendors, suppliers, and networks that will transform their ability to do business.
Other

What is the name of your solution?

Shop-BOB

What is your solution?

We are creating an online marketplace that allows users to Shop-BOB (BIPOC Owned Businesses), helping to increase their sales while also connecting BOBs to local community affairs to fund their mission forward. We have a focus on economic development for Black and Brown Youth ages 14 and up, essentially providing them with their very first job.

Film your elevator pitch.

Describe the core technology that powers your solution.

Currently we are building out an app that allows users to have a catered experience when interacting with vendors. We are implementing geo-targeted filters to allow the user to connect with BOBs directly in their communities. We are using personalization to filter the needs of each user in each community and building out programming in collaboration with other local nonprofits to assist those needs of the community.

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new application of an existing technology

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

Crowd Sourced Service / Social Networks
Software and Mobile Applications
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality

Who does your solution serve, including demographics, and how does the solution impact their lives?

As the phrase, Black Lives Matter, rang across the media outlets and through the streets of America many people saw this as an opportunity to demand for change. How do we build a community that has been left in the shadows even as the Declaration of Independence was drafted? People of color across the board felt left out of the board room and disregarded on Capitol Hill.

Shop-BOB Cares was designed to serve BIPOC individuals in neighborhoods that did not have the general resources to be successful. We cater to individuals between the ages of 25 - 54 that may have some education but lack the support to set themselves and their families up for financial freedom. We provide programs for youth 14 and up to earn a paycheck by learning skills in marketing and design that also supports the BIPOC Owned Businesses in our network.

The goal is to create a new ecosystem that funds businesses which helps nonprofits support the community that fosters new entrepreneurs.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

Problem

With the vast increase of societal cultural awareness, more consumers of color are looking for BIPOC Owned Businesses, aka BOB’s, to spend their dollars with. Our community spends 1.2 trillion dollars each year on retail alone and yet these dollars are not purposefully funneled into charitable donations that could truly help rebuild their own community. As new consumers research online directories that highlight these businesses, they are left feeling underwhelmed with the options to build their communities and support with a greater initiative.

Solution

Shop-BOB is a helping space where consumers can shop BIPOC Owned Businesses while funding organizations that directly serve communities of color while educating the community on philanthropy. This online hub will allow organizations to showcase their services to people who can support and/or utilize their programs. BIPOC Owned Businesses will have the opportunity to sell their products and services and give a portion of the proceeds directly to featured charities. Consumers will be given access to find new BIPOC Owned Businesses to patronize as well as donate directly to charities that provide services/programs in our communities.

What is your theory of change?

Overall we are cultivating a new way of supporting community. Users can shop from BOBs and BOBs can support programming that serves our community.

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Pilot: a product, service, or business model that is in the process of being built and tested with a small number of beneficiaries or working to gain traction.

What is your organization’s stage of development?

Growth: A registered 501(c)(3) organization with an established product, service, or business model rolled out in one or, ideally, several communities, which is poised for further growth and has a proven track record with an annual operating budget