Press Release: PIERCE COUNTY FUNDS BUSINESS ACCELERATOR FOR BIPOC ENTREPRENEURS -- $10,000 IN MATCHING GRANTS AVAILABLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 10, 2021
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber
communications@tacomachamber.org

More Information and application at: www.pcba.biz

The Business Accelerator program will serve entrepreneurs and business owners throughout Pierce County with a focus on BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities to help foster innovation and create wealth-building opportunities.

September 9, 2021 - Pierce County, WA - The Pierce County Business Accelerator is a program of Pierce County funded through an allocation from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The accelerator will provide direct access to business resources including relevant training, coaching, technical assistance, and networking support to launch and grow micro businesses in Pierce County. Upon completion, participants will receive:

• Access to Potential Funding Options
• Matching Grant Resources up to $10,000
• Commercial Rent Stipend for one year up to $500/mo.
•  Coaching/mentorship.

"I think this is going to be a generational change for a lot of individuals and families as we go through this,” said Tom Pierson, President and CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber. "This isn’t in nine months we’re going to be done; this is something we’re going to sustain and continue to do this work. I’m excited for what this will mean to our community at large countywide. And people are struggling with the application, the intent is not for it to be a weed out. If you need help with the application, there are folks there to help.”
 
Participants must be a start-up or a micro-stage business with 2019 annual revenue under $325k, or a pre-revenue business, and must be physically located in Pierce County. For application assistance, interested parties may contact us at (253) 798-6150 or PCBizAccelerator@piercecountywa.gov. Spanish language assistance is available. Or contact one of the following accelerator partners for assistance:

• The Black Collective and Tacoma Urban League: 
  Maamideede Hudson, (253) 383-2006 or maamideede@thetacomaurbanleague.org
• Korean Women's Association: 
  Suzanne Pak, (425) 591-2331 or spak@kwacares.org
• Asia Pacific Cultural Center:
  Faaluaina Pritchard, (253) 383-3900 or faaluaina@asiapacificculturalcenter.org
• Mi Centro: 
  Dr. Bernal Carlos Baca, (509) 961-7840 or bbaca@clatino.org

 
The first cohort of the Pierce County Business Accelerator will kick-off by the end of September. Applications submitted after September 17 will be considered for a later cohort. All BIPOC business owners who qualify should apply for the first round application due September 17, 2021. More information and online application can be found at www.pcba.biz