
Community and Connectivity


Community
Community is at the essence of both the contributions and survival of Black folk for generations. We inherently know how to create community. The question becomes, how do we utilize this capacity to build community wealth and economic sustainability for our neighborhoods? Unlike most entrepreneurship and business programs with a focus on individual founders and high-growth exits, we utilize community organizing strategies to build a network of investment in both the engaged enterprises and the community as a whole.
Virtually all of the 60+ business owners engaged in the Black Butterfly Network have independently stated that their goals extend beyond their own wealth-building to a commitment to ensuring the preservation and prosperity of the historically Black communities of Baltimore and beyond. This understanding of the interwoven destinies of the businesses and the community is the foundation of this initiative. All staffing of the project is provided by entrepreneurs, many of whom are cohort alumni.

Core Training Principles


Participant Perspectives



Connectivity

The BlkBtrFly Exchange
When we asked Black business owners what their greatest needs were, the issues raised repeatedly were lack of access to direct business support and resources, and connecting with other entrepreneurs. We elected to utilize EcoMap’s technology for its flexibility, customizability, and brilliant artificial intelligence functionality to support populating the platform with both Black businesses and business support resources.
