WASHINGTON — D.C. gave out more than $600,000 in retail grants to small businesses last week, helping one business uplift Black women entrepreneurs in the process.
The Blackbone Project is one of at least 64 businesses that received a $10 thousand grant from the District during Small Business Week.
"What we do is we take Black women-owned businesses and build them from the ideation phase, all the way up until their business is on track to hit a million dollars. And so they don't leave with us with a million dollars, but they're on track to do a million dollars in revenue based on the education we give them, the certifications they've received... and [we] just give them all the tools they need to succeed, how to be grant ready, how to provide access to capital, what does it look to be ready to confront a bank for a loan," Executive Director of Blackbone, Stephanie Campbell said.
Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development Rosemary Suggs-Evans said at least three businesses in each of the eight wards received a grant.
She said businesses can use them pretty much at their discretion -- to cover extra costs that can weigh them down, like equipment, software, rent, etc.
“It’s important to make sure our businesses know that the District is there for them. Mayor Bowser, again, understands how difficult it is to run a small business," Director Suggs-Evans said. "And sometimes you need that little bit of help to get you over to the next week or the next month.”
The Blackbone Project's Executive Director, Stephanie Campbell, said they're using the grant money they received to buy more store fixtures to host more brands in their storefront and to hire a staff member to support the night life at the Sycamore and Oak, where it's located.
The concept of the project is to support Black women entrepreneurs with trainings, a professional community, and the aforementioned storefront where they can sell their goods and learn what it's like to run a brick-and-mortar.
Now, Campbell said their storefront sells products from 15 Black-owned businesses.
Featured are everything from candles to jewelry to books to cards to clothes.
Campbell said she uses her own experience starting multiple businesses to help other women grow theirs.
“I've kind of seen it all. I've failed, I've succeeded. And so I can take my knowledge and share it with the woman in this program and let them know, do it scared," she said. "And don't be afraid to fail. And we're here to support you. And I wish I had something like the black mom project when I started my business because you just learned so much and even [now] I'm learning so much.”
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